Community Engagement

Living an artful life: Takeaways from a visit by Maria Rosario Jackson

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:20:12 +0000

Living an artful life: Takeaways from a visit by Maria Rosario Jackson Mariefaith Lane Wed, 11/12/2025 - 20:20

Kathryn Bistodeau

Photos: Johnette Martin

Urban planner, cultural policy expert and former NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson visited the College of Music on Oct. 24, hosted by the American Music Research Center.

Jackson visited AMRC Director Michael Sy Uy’s graduate seminar, Music and Prizes, to talk about cultural vitality in communities, what she learned while working at the Urban Institute and how that informed her position as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.

DMA student Grace Stringfellow said the class visit was a great opportunity to talk to someone involved in arts funding and urban planning.

“The chance to learn more about the state of arts funding from a more general, multidisciplinary and administrative perspective was a rare treat,” they said. “I found it very inspiring that Dr. Jackson encouraged us to be more creative in the types of jobs we interview for and the types of projects that we involve ourselves in, expanding to roles outside of performer and teacher so that we can make the arts more impactful and community-focused.” MORE

Former NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson visited the College of Music on Oct. 24, hosted by the American Music Research Center. Learn more about her visit and the perspectives she shared with our community!

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Faculty Tuesdays event spotlights songwriting, individual expression

Mariefaith Lane — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:14:58 +0000

Faculty Tuesdays event spotlights songwriting, individual expression Mariefaith Lane Mon, 11/10/2025 - 14:14

Adam Goldstein + Sabine Kortals Stein

Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky and Associate Teaching Professor of Composition Mike Barnett are dedicated educators at ��ɫ��Ƶ’s College of Music who also play other roles outside of their status as professors.

Namely, both Barnett and Socolofsky are actively engaged composers and singer-songwriter artists who practice what they preach to their students when it comes to self-expression and creativity through music.

This week’s Faculty Tuesdays event, Nov. 11, offers the duo the chance to spotlight their singer-songwriter sides for our campus and community concertgoers. More broadly, the performance will represent the ways that the College of Music is evolving: Even as Barnett and Socolofsky bring their original compositions to the stage, opportunities for students’ self-expression as musicians, songwriters and artists are continually expanding.

“We were excited when Mike and Annika proposed their event for the Faculty Tuesdays series because it gives us the chance to more fully highlight the diversity of work being done at the ��ɫ��Ƶ College of Music,” says CU Presents Executive Director Andrew Metzroth. “It also gave us an opportunity to stretch the boundaries of what can happen in Grusin Music Hall.”

Specifically, Metzroth helped support audio engineering and supplemental lighting—as well as the extra funds needed to support a rock-style concert. CU Presents in general manages event promotions and programs including for all Faculty Tuesday events.

“Mike and I are both so excited to bring songwriting to the Faculty Tuesdays series,” says Socolofsky. The event will feature 10 of her original songs as well as Socolofsky’s queer, country and Western alter-ego EmmyJean Jenkins.

“We’re starting two brand-new degree programs here at the College of Music: Songwriting and Music Production. We hope we’re the first of many songwriting Faculty Tuesdays that showcase the ways that the college’s offerings are branching out.”

Socolofsky will be joined onstage by an ensemble that includes Trace Hybertson on fiddle, isele phoenix harper on keyboards, alumnus Ilan Blanck (MM ’23) on guitar and Nicole Patrick on drums for a program including “a rather thorough needling of the patriarchy along with quite a few jokes about men named Brad ... or Brock ... or Brice ... or some name like that.”

Barnett’s portion of the program will draw on collaborations with Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller on vocals and fiddle, Fritz Gearhart on fiddle and Assistant Teaching Professor of Percussion Carl Dixon on percussion for a showcase of eight of his original songs (plus one cover).

Barnett is an active musician in the Boulder community and beyond; he’s a regular attendee of local songwriting sessions and performs his self-described brand of “Outlaw Folk” in open mics and community performances. Like Socolofsky, he views this event as a chance not only to bring his music to the ��ɫ��Ƶ campus, but to contribute to a deeper shift—in terms of focus, access and expression—in the entire community.

“We’re launching these new degree programs and we’re also in the process of building a multitrack studio,” he adds. “That’s going to open doors for all of our students. I think these efforts all speak loudly to what we’re doing here, building a more diverse and inclusive body of artistry.

“I think these efforts all speak loudly to what we’re doing here, building a more diverse and inclusive body of artistry.”

“Music belongs to everyone. There are so many voices that traditionally haven’t been heard in academia. It’s an important part of our mission—and the college’s universal musician approach to achieving that mission—to do these things.”

It feels fitting, then, that Barnett’s only cover tune during the performance will be Bob Seger’s 1971 folk ballad, “Turn the Page.”

As Barnett reiterates, this week’s event is part of a broader effort. “We’re helping to write a new chapter.”

Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky and Associate Teaching Professor of Composition Mike Barnett are actively engaged composers and singer-songwriter artists who practice what they preach to their students when it comes to self-expression and creativity through music.

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Innovation as a collaborative act

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:00:41 +0000

Innovation as a collaborative act Mariefaith Lane Thu, 10/30/2025 - 04:00

John Davis

From left to right: On Oct. 1-4, 2025, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Margaret Berg, Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives Kate Cimino, Dean John Davis and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Matthew Roeder welcomed participants of the National Association of Music Executives at State Universities (NAMESU) Annual Meeting to our campus and the brand new Limelight Boulder.

Greetings “from the road” where I’ve been engaged in two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)—at institutions in Mississippi and New York—as well as a trio of October conferences: From hosting the National Association of Music Executives at State Universities (NAMESU) Annual Meeting right here on our campus and at the new Limelight hotel to the 61st Annual Conference of the International Council for Arts Deans (ICfAD) in Santa Fe, New Mexico to the College Music Society (CMS) National Conference in Spokane, Washington this week where I’ll be interacting with other deans and senior arts administrators engaged in public service and mentoring. Everywhere I go, I enjoy representing the unique achievements, aspirations and opportunities of our College of Music; along the way, I’ve been struck by the supportive camaraderie and timely shared learnings among my counterparts.

As noted by American theatre and opera director Anne Bogart, “We have been discouraged to think that innovation can be a collaborative act” and yet it’s exactly that—a collaborative act—that’s at the heart of institutions like ours.

It’s a collaborate act to not only innovate our curriculum in accordance with our universal musician approach—most recently including the launch of our songwriting degree emphasis, a new master’s degree in performance and pedagogy and the addition of a strings emphasis within our jazz studies degree programs; but also to sustain a healthy environment in which our students and faculty can advance their artistic integrity and imagination, and push back against ongoing pressures and pervasive feelings of despair—for example, when the Evergreen High School Cougar Pride Marching Band joined our Golden Buffalo Marching Band for a halftime performance on Oct. 11, marking a significant moment of healing for a community still recovering from a school shooting in September; and when our University Choir takes the spotlight at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Biennial Conference at Cal State Fullerton College on Nov. 7, among just 10 choirs selected to perform via a nationwide competitive application process.

These days, we’re constantly buffeted by events. In the 24/7 news cycle, it’s all too easy to catastrophize, to lose proportion. In response, among arts leaders nationally, I’m finding a palpable purpose to meet the moment with intentionality, resulting in more opportunities for energetic engagement based on shared values.

At ICfAD, I participated in several facilitated discussions including Building Coalitions Across Campus, Creating Cultural Buy-In, and Strategies for Leading and Building a Team; as well as a riveting presentation—Common Characteristics of the Most Successful Fundraising Deans by James M. Langley, a prolific author and successful pioneer of fundraising strategies in higher education. The result? My own deepening dedication to the college’s focus areas—offering relevant, adaptable curriculum and student opportunities; enhancing faculty and staff success; and sustaining a community of wellness and resilience—as well as refining, right-sizing or even shifting college priorities to ignite greater immediate impacts as well as future possibilities for our students.

In short, my notes from a month of travel on behalf of our college—where I’m enthusiastic about my second term as dean—reflect that we’re not alone in taking a fresh look at everything we do to ensure student, staff and faculty flourishing within a resilient community, no matter the external pressures on (and often misdirected passions against) universities, generally.

Through radical resourcefulness, and with your programmatic and scholarship support, I’m eager to redirect adversity into advocacy, and conflict into collaborative acts that elevate music making as a basic human right: A right that serves and sustains the human experience, that draws us together when words fail, that offers an inclusive place of refuge and that uplifts expression of the beauty within all of us.

Dean Davis shares reflections “from the road” where he’s been engaged in a trio of October conferences as well as two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

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“Always a Flutist” celebrates flutes, community and music

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:44:34 +0000

“Always a Flutist” celebrates flutes, community and music Mariefaith Lane Thu, 09/18/2025 - 05:44

Adam Goldstein

Christina Jennings continues to marvel at the deep, existential roots of the flute.

It’s an instrument that has long been part of the human creative process, stretching all the way back to the prehistoric discovery that music can emerge from a simply carved piece of bone or wood. “The flute is humankind’s oldest instrument,” says Jennings, professor of flute at the College of Music. “We’ve been playing flutes for thousands of years.”

Those deep, ancient ties will be on full display on the upcoming “Always a Flutist” Faculty Tuesdays recital, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. in Grusin Music Hall. The program—titled “Threads of Silver, Ties of Gold”—celebrates the flute through community by showcasing the flute in solo, duo, quartet and a 50-member flute orchestra. In this reunion between Jennings and some 30 flute alumni, selections include Charles Ives’ “Unanswered Question,” Luciano Berio’s arrangement of Beatles songs and music of Helen Fisher, Dianna Link, Lowell Liebermann and others. Performers also include Jenning’s 16 current students and other collaborators—from talented area high school musicians to faculty and staff musicians from across campus.

Jennings kicked off this celebration of flutes, community and music in 2017 when she organized the first three-day iteration of the event that featured world-renowned flutists Sir James and Lady Galway. This year’s two-day gathering reflects the same spirit.

“The festival in 2017 was my way of inviting alumni back, and inviting the Colorado flute community to create a ‘We love the flute’ gathering,” she explains. “It was incredibly successful and seeded the idea for doing something else.

“Since 2017, even more so since the pandemic, what’s become the central core value to who I am as a teacher is the idea of centering community.”

As Jennings celebrates her 20th year on the College of Music faculty, next week’s “Always a Flutist” event also includes non-public opportunities for teachers, former students and current student musicians to reconnect and network; but it’s the culminating Faculty Tuesdays recital that best unites all participants and our flute-loving audience members in a wide-ranging program.

“The program is basically pieces that I love,” says Jennings, adding that the final piece—Egemen Kesikli’s “Breathless”—will “bring everybody up on stage including some of my colleagues that only had a passing interest in flute in seventh or eighth grade. That gets back to the ‘Always a Flutist’ theme.”

The spirit of such a communal celebration is also a fitting tribute to Jennings’ impact on our college over two decades, and a meaningful opportunity for alumni—whose career paths have ranged from law to medicine to professional performance and beyond—to meet again in a shared love of a very old instrument.

“It has absolutely been a dream to be with this community, with these students … and to be in a place where I feel honored as an artist, and teaching a curriculum that honors the universal musician,” Jennings says. “I will always have something to say through the flute.”

On Sept. 23, the “Always a Flutist” Faculty Tuesdays recital celebrates the flute through community by showcasing the instrument in solo, duo, quartet and a 50-member flute orchestra. Performers include flute faculty, alumni and current students—as well as talented area high school musicians, and faculty and staff musicians from across campus!

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Grammy-nominated artist-in-residence Marco Pavé to showcase artistry, wisdom

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:09:13 +0000

Grammy-nominated artist-in-residence Marco Pavé to showcase artistry, wisdom Mariefaith Lane Tue, 09/16/2025 - 05:09

Kathryn Bistodeau

As artist-in-residence of our American Music Research Center (AMRC) and the ��ɫ��Ƶ Center for African & African American Studies, Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist, dramatist and writer Marco Pavé—stage name for Tauheed Rahim II—will showcase his artistry and wisdom through classes, workshops and a concert, Sept. 22-26.

AMRC Director Michael Uy notes that many College of Music students have been interested in a chance to engage with hip-hop. “When Marco Pavé reached out, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew of his participation as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department,” says Uy. “He also came highly recommended as Georgetown University’s first hip-hop artist-in-residence.”

In preparation for classes that he’s guest teaching, Pavé asked students to listen to his Grammy-nominated work “Requiem for the Enslaved” which blends contemporary classical music with hip-hop. MORE

As artist-in-residence of our American Music Research Center and the Center for African & African American Studies, Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist, dramatist and writer Marco Pavé will showcase his artistry and wisdom through classes, workshops and a concert, Sept. 22-26.

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The Cleveland Orchestra residency returns

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:00:13 +0000

The Cleveland Orchestra residency returns Mariefaith Lane Thu, 09/04/2025 - 05:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

From Sept. 10-12, members of The Cleveland Orchestra will resume their biyearly collaboration with the College of Music that began over a decade ago—including a guest recital on Sept. 11, joined by College of Music faculty and students, and offering coachings, rehearsals, panel discussions on auditions and careers in music, and more.

Professor of Clarinet Daniel Silver describes the residency as a unique opportunity for students to observe and learn from professionals in the industry.

“No one gets into The Cleveland Orchestra unless they’re one of the very best,” he says. “People don’t win jobs like that because they’re lucky. So you’re really dealing with an incredibly high level of skill and artistry.

“This is a really wonderful group of people, too—they have a sense of humor. And they love coming to Boulder, meeting students and sharing what they know.”

Participating members of The Cleveland Orchestra will team up with their instrument’s faculty counterpart at the College of Music for studio classes, lessons and coachings. For Silver, a standout event on the schedule is a side-by-side rehearsal with the ��ɫ��Ƶ Symphony Orchestra.

“I think that’s one of the linchpins, because the orchestra is playing big orchestral repertoire—and not only do The Cleveland Orchestra members know these pieces well, but they’ve played them dozens of times in their lives,” he explains. “So they’re full of experience about the pieces, and how to be more artistic, responsive and professional in an orchestra at a high level.”

According to Silver, the impact of the residency on students is tangible: They come away fired up and eager to put their new ideas and advice into practice.

“Somebody who plays in an orchestra at this level all the time will bring insights, wisdom, suggestions, ideas about practice and approaches to the music that are unique—and that would be hard for our students to get anywhere else,” he says.

There’s also a personal connection for Silver, who grew up attending The Cleveland Orchestra concerts. “I used to hear the orchestra every week when I was in middle school and high school,” he reflects. “It took me a few years to realize when I would go other places and come back how fortunate I was. I’m looking forward to rekindling the connections to my hometown.”

Our gratitude to the 16 members of The Cleveland Orchestra who are joining us on campus this year:

Amy Lee, Associate Concertmaster
Stephen Rose, Principal Second Violin
Stanley Konopka, Assistant Principal Viola
Mark Kosower, Principal Cello
Maximilian Dimoff, Principal Bass
Mary Fink, Principal Piccolo | Flute
Frank Rosenwein, Principal Oboe
John Clouser, Principal Bassoon
Amy Zoloto, Bass Clarinet | Clarinet
Michael Sachs, Principal Trumpet | Cornet
Meghan Guegold, French Horn
Shachar Israel, Assistant Principal Trombone
Yasuhito Sugiyama, Principal Tuba
Paul Yancich, Principal Timpanist (retired)
Marc Damoulakis, Principal Percussion
Trina Bourne, Principal Harp

From Sept. 10-12, members of The Cleveland Orchestra will resume a biyearly collaboration with the College of Music that began over a decade ago—including a guest recital on Sept. 11, joined by College of Music faculty and students.

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Global Seminar livecasts piano recital from Paris to Denver

Mariefaith Lane — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:07:35 +0000

Global Seminar livecasts piano recital from Paris to Denver Mariefaith Lane Mon, 07/14/2025 - 08:07

Kathryn Bistodeau

Steinway & Sons Spirio, “the world’s highest resolution player piano.”
Photo: Steinway & Sons.

Professor of Piano Andrew Cooperstock loves all things French—the art, music, food and language—and he’ll soon combine that passion with his love for teaching and performing.

In partnership with ��ɫ��Ƶ Education Abroad, a brand new Global Seminar—Chamber Music Performance—will engage a dozen student participants in Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and Paris, France. Eight of the students traveling to France with Cooperstock are from ��ɫ��Ƶ and four are joining the class from the University of South Carolina.

From July 24 to Aug. 7, the seminar will offer students opportunities to perform chamber music across France—including a unique occasion for a local audience to experience the performers from half a world away.

“One of the concerts in Paris is going to be at the new Steinway & Sons gallery there,” explains Cooperstock. “The students will perform chamber music and then—in the second half of the program—just the pianists will each play a short piece on the Spirio Steinway.

College of Music students Juhyun Hwang (MM ’26, piano) and James Morris (DMA ’25, piano) rehearse for their Spirio piano duet at ��ɫ��Ƶ before traveling to France for a two-week Global Seminar.
Photo: Andrew Cooperstock

“A signal will be livecast from Paris to the Spirio piano in the new Steinway & Sons Denver location where audience members can hear the sound actually coming out of another Spirio piano, like a player piano—not from a speaker like a Webcast or Zoomcast or something.

“The sound is extremely accurate, so it should sound pretty much exactly like the Paris concert,” he adds.

In addition to the technologically remarkable Steinway recital, participating students will perform in a Baroque church in Aix-en-Provence and the American Church in Paris, among other venues, and rehearse great chamber music by American and French composers with talented peers. Students will also engage in guest master classes, studio classes and private lessons.

The students’ cultural immersion further includes French language lessons, a boat ride along the Seine, a trip to Notre Dame, a tour of the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (IRCAM) and more.

“The support of Stephanie Pund and Sylvie Burnet-Jones from Education Abroad, College of Music Dean John Davis and the college’s administrative team were really instrumental in supporting this class and recognizing its importance. It’s a lot of work on everybody’s part but well worth it!”

Join us to experience the livecast recital at Steinway & Sons on July 28, 11 a.m. (56 Steele Street, Denver)!

On July 28, a new Global Seminar in France includes a special opportunity for local fans of the College of Music to experience a recital livecast from Paris to Denver with digital piano technology.

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American Music Research Center reflects on successful AY2024-25

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:32:49 +0000

American Music Research Center reflects on successful AY2024-25 Mariefaith Lane Thu, 07/10/2025 - 11:32

Kathryn Bistodeau

Friedel leads an archive tour as part of the AMRC’s spring Open House.

The American Music Research Center (AMRC) had a bustling year. With the introduction of a new director, Michael Uy, came new events, collaborations and opportunities to leverage our varied archives.

The AMRC, jointly housed by the ��ɫ��Ƶ College of Music and University Libraries, has an archive collection full of musical memorabilia; collection highlights include silent film music, big band artifacts and Colorado-specific research and manuscripts.

In February, the AMRC opened its doors to curious members of our community: Our Open House attendees were treated to a range of archival materials as well as a guided tour through the stacks to see where the collections are held. Megan K. Friedel, head of collections management and stewardship for the libraries’ Rare and Distinctive Collections (RaD), and A. R. Flynn, project archivist for the Glenn Miller Collection, helped organize the event and curate the selection of materials.

“The event that had the most significant impact on me was our Open House,” reflects Uy. “The initial idea was Josie Moe’s—as administrative and student services assistant for the College of Music, she noted that staff, faculty and students wanted more opportunities to see what was in the AMRC collections. With professors Friedel and Flynn, we were able to bring out Glenn Miller’s trombone, original and sketch scores by Dave Grusin and music compositions by Carrie B. H. Collins.” MORE

The American Music Research Center had a bustling year. With the introduction of a new director, Michael Uy, came new events, collaborations and opportunities to leverage our varied archives. Learn more and discover what lies ahead for the center!

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Nathan George named 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 21:27:26 +0000

Nathan George named 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior Mariefaith Lane Fri, 04/18/2025 - 15:27

Adam Goldstein

Singing in a choir requires a delicate balance of skills.

One voice becomes part of a larger ensemble; one artist’s creative spirit thrives only through collaboration, teamwork and humility. It’s an art form that demands a fusion of individual talent and selflessness for the sake of the greater musical good.

For Nathan George (BME, choral)—who will graduate from the ��ɫ��Ƶ’s College of Music on May 8 as our Outstanding Graduating Senior—the choir’s blend of creativity and community was always a draw. And the teachers who brought that dynamic were always an inspiration.

“I started choir in middle school. I loved performing with my friends and I think that was the main thing—the community of performance,” recalls George who grew up in the Broomfield/Thornton area, finding direction in the choir and the theatre that would ultimately steer his path to ��ɫ��Ƶ—thanks in part to influential teachers like Karen Stacks at Legacy High School.

“I felt empowered by a lot of my teachers and I wanted to do the same—provide students something they can enjoy, give them a way to gain confidence, learn intangibles, learn how to be a good person.”

George found a direct route to these aspirations when he was a high school senior looking over the College of Music’s course catalog for music education majors. The catalog described courses with targeted specialties and conveyed a pedagogical approach that fit George’s budding passion for music, theatre and—above all—education.

“Becoming a Music Teacher, Teaching Choral Music, Choral Literature—those classes stood out. I had never seen such specific classes geared toward choral education,” shares George.

While George will receive a music education degree with an emphasis in choral music and a minor in theatre, he’s quick to point out how his journey as a Music Buff opened his eyes to myriad facets of music education. He fully leveraged the College of Music’s wide-ranging programs and opportunities for engagement—from working with the ��ɫ��Ƶ Middle School Ensembles (MSE) program and Middle School Summer Music Academy (SMA) to his role as president of the ��ɫ��Ƶ chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), serving as a student ambassador for the College of Music since his sophomore year and participating in our Diverse Musicians’ Alliance (DiMA).

In addition to his time in the classroom with dedicated and invested faculty members like Associate Professor of Voice Andrew Garland and Associate Professor of Music Education Leila Heil, George’s involvement with these programs offered real-world, practical experiences. In the MSE and SMA programs, he conducted an orchestra and focused on violin/cello sectionals. Through NAfME, George served as choral representative; organized gratitude initiatives for faculty, staff and students; and even organized a fundraiser for University Hill Elementary School—an effort that generated $1,100 for new equipment for Kimberly Alspaugh-Humecky’s students. “I think that’s what I’m most proud of, getting to organize that fundraiser and make that difference,” he notes.

George also organized a holiday concert that featured musicians from ��ɫ��Ƶ and the broader community performing works by the late composer George Lynn which led to the opportunity to organize a performance for the St. Anthony North Holiday Gala.

Four years after first scanning the College of Music’s music education curriculum, George has completed an education that, in some ways, represents the complex, nuanced dynamics of a choir: His journey has been equal parts individual skill and community engagement. He’s shown a commitment to expanding his own artistic abilities, even as he’s worked for the benefit of the broader world around him—an achievement and an approach ideally suited to a teaching career.

Adds George: “I’m very grateful. It’s really an honor to be named Outstanding Senior—there are a lot of incredible, talented people here.”

[Editor's note: Both Nathan George and Leonard Eppich (BM, viola performance) maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout their academic careers at ��ɫ��Ƶ, earning Chancellor’s Recognition Awards this spring as graduating music students.]

Congratulations and best wishes to ALL our fantastic graduates in the Class of 2025!

For Nathan George—who will graduate from the ��ɫ��Ƶ College of Music on May 8 as our Outstanding Graduating Senior—“community of performance” drew him to prepare for a career in music education.

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Celebrate + aspire

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:59:06 +0000

Celebrate + aspire Mariefaith Lane Thu, 03/13/2025 - 09:59

John Davis

On March 2, the College of Music’s talented Opera Theater Singers once again delivered outstanding performances at our Eklund Opera Program gala at the Academy University Hill. We were honored to welcome Chancellor Schwartz for the first time at this annual fundraising event that aims to sustain and support the arts in our community. Pictured above (left to right): Andrew Todd, Assistant Dean for Advancement; Justin Schwartz, ��ɫ��Ƶ Chancellor; Leigh Holman, Eklund Opera Program Director; Paul + Kristina Eklund, naming donors of the Eklund Opera Program; and John Davis, College of Music Dean.

At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy.

More broadly, in the words of Ukrainian-born writer Joseph Conrad, “All creative art is magic, is evocation of the unseen in forms persuasive, enlightening, familiar and surprising, for the edification of mankind.”

As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations.

For example, I encourage you to discover how Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg is creating sustainability through music education, ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society. Related, two graduate students—Nicholas Felder and Ian Gunnarschja—received grants to support innovative projects that promote equity in music and wellness among neurodiverse musicians.

Creative courage and unique expression at our college are further personified by Enion Pelta-Tiller—a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy—whose ambitious, experimental approach to music brings together a wealth of coexisting influences and helped shape our new cross-genre ensembles and curricula. And, in case you missed it, our Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar recently shared a delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday—a labor of love and creative fortitude in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

Additionally, more than 100 guest artists, ensembles and lecturers have energized our classrooms and graced our stages so far this academic year—most recently including Kennedy Center honoree and five-time Grammy Award-winner Renée Fleming, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon; as well as visiting scholars in our Musicology + Music Theory Colloquium Series and local luminaries like alumnus Gregory Walker—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—who presented a master class last week as part of our annual Persevering Legacy events showcasing works by women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Also inspiring to our community this month was a musicians’ workshop led by Blues icon (and Boulder resident) Otis Taylor, a Colorado Music Hall of Famer.

For all these reasons among many more, I remain steadfast in our resolve to inspire artistry and discovery, together.

With gratitude,

John Davis
Dean, College of Music

"At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy. As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations."

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