FROM THE DESK OF THE DEAN | | |
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As we approach the close of the fall 2023 semester, I am pleased to share some news and updates from the Jacobs School of Music. We have had an extraordinary fall semester full of exquisite productions, remarkable achievements in research and creative activity, and so much more. Overall, we are thriving here in southern Indiana! | | |
At Jacobs, gross tuition supports approximately 90% of our operating budget. As such, we look to fall enrollment, by our Jacobs students and others, for the clearest indicator of the financial picture for the year. For this fiscal year, we are projecting a favorable variance of ~1%. This allows us to support the major expense components of the operating budget, namely financial aid and compensation. Financial aid and other strategic initiatives are also supported by funds from donors; this year over 30% of the financial aid awarded will be supported by the generosity of our donors.
Knowing we are on firm financial ground this year, we are turning our attention to future years. There are several requests from various areas (IT, Opera and Ballet Theater, and Piano Technology, in particular) for additional staffing support. In addition, we know we need to invest in more instruments, updated technology, and other high priorities. Each request is valid, and we are working to prioritize our needs. The new academic programs will be a source of additional funding, once fully deployed. In the meantime, we are sharpening our pencils, planning, and prioritizing.
From our programmatic initiatives, exceptional performances, world-class faculty and visiting artists, and global reach, the vision of the Jacobs School of Music could not be possible without the generous, private support from Jacobs donors. As 2023 comes to a close, we can look back on some incredible highlights made possible by these incredible partners in philanthropy:
As a part of IU’s One Big Week, we asked donors to focus their philanthropy on the Jacobs School’s Student Support Fund, which provides students with resources for vital needs such as tuition, food security, living expenses, safe housing, transportation costs, instrument rental, and so much more. Thanks to a generous match from Jacobs donor Gina Leonetti, the school raised over $55,000 for the benefit of our students.
The Office of Wellness and Arts Health Initiatives (OWAHI) is grateful to the philanthropy of Dean’s Advisory Council member Kim Pressman. Kim has provided meaningful support that has launched and fortified OWAHI and its initiative of promoting a “culture of care,” within the Jacobs School. Students participating in OWAHI services are enjoying wellness drop-ins, special guest speakers, healthy “on-the-go” snacks, and contemplative group walks. This meaningful programming cultivates partnerships that focus on our students’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being so that they may thrive within our community, and the communities they will serve. We extend our gratitude to Frank Diaz, associate professor of music in music education and OWAHI
coordinator, and applaud his partnership with Mrs. Pressman.
The Jacobs School of Music is also pleased to share its receipt of a legacy gift from the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation in the amount of $687,000. The endowment will be used to continue supporting IU Jacobs School of Music Opera Theater performances in Indianapolis every few years.
This year, IU Jacobs Opera Theater mounted its production of Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University. Previous Opera Theater productions performed in Indianapolis through support from the DeHaan Family Foundation include Akhnaten by Philip Glass, Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck, and Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. All productions were made possible, in part, by the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation.
These are just a few of the highlights from this year. Jacobs School donors have established endowments via outright gifts, as well as planned bequests, via their respective estates. Such gifts have created scholarships, fellowships, chairs, professorships, and unique gifts that enhance the programs and travel opportunities offered by the school. In particular, such philanthropic generosity has initiated new scholarships, fellowships, and chairs that will support the Organ Department, the Choral Department, and the Marching Hundred. With all of this, and our gratitude to the transformative investment of private sector donors and foundations, the value of the Jacobs School of Music endowment is now just over $175,000,000. | | |
While we are still early in the admissions process, the early news is strong. Having just passed the December 1 application deadline, we have received over 3,000 applications this year, an increase of approximately 7%. At the undergraduate level, we are seeing a particularly strong increase, with applications up 14% over last year. In addition, we have realized a 30% increase in international applications. We are particularly excited to have launched the ASEAN Scholarship this year, an initiative to attract students from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. So far, we have experienced an increase of 46% in applications from member nations. Finally, we are continuing to see more applications from China, with an increase in applications once again this year of approximately
10%.
Applicants are currently going through the pre-screening process, before qualified finalists are invited to our audition weekends, which are scheduled for January 12-13, February 2-3, and March 1-2. | | |
We are in the midst of several major upgrades to our facilities:
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This summer, we repaired and upgraded many of the rigging components backstage at the Music Arts Center; these are the wires and mechanics that allow us to deploy the orchestra shell and hang lights and sets. This work will continue next summer.
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We are close to releasing a call for bids on the sound upgrades in the MAC. This equipment will provide state-of-the-art sound and reduce our reliance on external vendors for sound reinforcement.
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We are starting to envision how we might upgrade our lighting in the MAC. The guest lighting designers have many ideas based on what they experience in other halls, and we know that the technology from when the building was built is not serving our needs today.
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We are also close to soliciting bids for upgrades to sound and lights in two of our rehearsal rooms (MAC 036/040). The cost for this project will be shared with central IU sources.
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On a smaller scale, we are addressing the need for gender-neutral restrooms in the ESB, as well as additional security in this space.
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And then there is the Music Addition. Our beloved round building needs mechanical upgrades; the State of Indiana agrees and is funding this work. Included will be new HVAC and windows, upgraded lighting, rehearsal room upgrades, some acoustical treatments, and some security upgrades. Enhanced student lounge spaces are also a priority for us. We expect temperature and humidity control in the building to be vastly improved by the renovation. While we are thrilled to have this work funded, we are also mindful of the cost to us. This work will commence in May 2023 and be complete by fall 2024. We will be displaced from this space for 15 months, and we are working hard to identify alternate spaces for faculty to teach, students to practice, and classes to be held.
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Fall 2023 Performance and Scholarship Highlights | | |
This year’s fall semester mainstage opera season boasted several outstanding productions. This year, in addition to its performance at the MAC on the Bloomington Campus, IU Jacobs Opera Theater also took its production of Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette to Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University. It was an exceptional production, and we wish to extend our gratitude to all those involved.
The Piano Department hosted a Spiriocast on October 18. World-renowned pianist Jeremy Denk, a Jacobs alumnus, performed during a live video stream from New York City’s Steinway Hall to Jacobs’ Ford-Crawford Hall using Steinway’s state of the art Spirio technology. The concert, which was broadcast to all Spirio owners worldwide, also featured student performances, recordings from the Spirio’s music library, including Arthur Rubinstein and Van Cliburn, and a Q&A with Michael Cabe of Steinway & Sons.
Carmina Burana was performed on October 28, presented by the school’s Oratorio Chorus, IU Children’s Choir, and Concert Orchestra and conducted by Betsy Burleigh. In preparation, the departments of Music Theory and Musicology cohosted a panel discussion on October 25, focused on the problematic history of Carl Orff and this work. The panel consisted of Professor Emerita of Music Theory Marianne Kielian-Gilbert; Judah Cohen
, professor of Musicology, Lou and Sybil Mervis Professor of Jewish Culture, and associate vice provost for faculty and academic affairs; and Mark Doerries (University of Notre Dame.) Doerries is a D.M. graduate of the Jacobs Department of Choral Conducting who has written extensively on the problematic history of Carl Orff and his work. A recording of the performance is available at
IUMusicLive!
In a completely new and updated version of our annual production of The Nutcracker, faculty choreographer Sasha Janes reimagined the narrative from the viewpoint of curious young Marie. With guidance from her Aunt Drosselmeyer, Marie embarks on an enchanting journey fueled by the boundless power of imagination, inviting the audience to join her on an exhilarating adventure. The set by Thaddeus Straussberger provided tall white marble walls for the projections of Greg Emetaz, depicting a myriad of scenes. As the Indiana Daily Student
newspaper stated, “With each changing projection, the audience audibly gasped. With each pirouette, they applauded enthusiastically. For each moment of magic, the adults in the room became children again, awed and enraptured by the beauty brought to life by the Jacobs School of Music Ballet Theater department.” Costumes designed by IU faculty member Linda Pisano were simply exquisite and glistened under the lights. Please consider joining us next year for this acclaimed production.
Among the highlights of the semester was the screening of the new Leonard Bernstein movie, Maestro, at the IU Cinema on December 6. Thanks to a special arrangement with Netflix and due to the school’s strong bond with Bernstein, we were treated to an amazing evening with the film on the big screen. Bradley Cooper, cowriter, director, and star of the film, said that the movie “explores the definition—and brutal toll—of that kind of success with deep sympathy, lushly beautiful wall-to-wall music and great narrative velocity” (‘Maestro’ Review: Leonard Bernstein’s Life of Ecstasy and Agony, The New York Times
, November 22, 2023.) We were honored to be joined by Dean Emeritus Charles Webb and his family, who were dear friends of Maestro Bernstein and his family. Charles reported to me at the end of the evening that he absolutely loved the movie. The film will be released on Netflix on December 20. | | |
Jeremy Allen
, Eugene O'Brien Bicentennial Executive Associate Dean and associate professor of music in jazz studies, will take administrative leave in the spring 2024 semester, after which he will return to his teaching position in the Jazz Department in the fall 2024 semester. Jeremy has served Jacobs well since the spring 2017 semester as executive associate dean, and from 2020 to 2022 as interim dean. During those years, he deftly tackled numerous initiatives that made the school stronger, including a redesign of the ballet program, leadership of countless faculty hiring committees, recent oversight of the Opera and Ballet Theater program, and perhaps most impressive of all, stewardship of the school through the COVID-19 pandemic. It was in the years of the pandemic that, due to his leadership
acumen and that of his leadership team, the school emerged in a much stronger financial position than when it began.
Through a national search, internal candidate Demondrae Thurman, professor of music in euphonium and chair of the Brass Department, was chosen as the next executive associate dean. He will begin his new role on January 1. Thurman has an outstanding international reputation as a euphonium soloist, having performed in Europe, Asia, and throughout North America, a chamber musician, and an orchestral player. He has served as head of the brass area at the University of Alabama and director of graduate studies at Samford University.
In addition, Lissa May
, professor of music in music education, will also return to the faculty in the spring 2024 semester, after serving as associate dean for instruction since January 2017 and interim associate dean for faculty affairs, research, and creative activity since July 2023. In her role, she has shepherded countless faculty through the promotion and tenure process, implemented new initiatives ranging from mentoring, peer teaching observation, faculty evaluation processes, and more. With the new IU 2030 Strategic Plan and the IU Bloomington 2030 Strategic Plan, it became clear that the portfolio was no longer appropriate for one person. As a result, the associate dean for instruction position was split in two:
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Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Success: focused on curriculum, accreditation, oversight of the Graduate and Undergraduate Advising offices, and the success of the Jacobs School of Music students, including their wellness, mental health, and career preparation.
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Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity: focused on faculty promotion, tenure and evaluation, contracts, and other matters involving faculty as well as support for faculty research.
The new structure will allow the school to focus more significantly on the success of our students and the support of our faculty, the first two pillars in the university’s strategic plan.
I’m pleased to announce that Ryan Kelly, associate professor of music in bands, assumed the associate dean for academic affairs and student success position in August 2023. He was most recently associate director of the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin, where he also served as associate director of bands and associate professor of practice in conducting.
In addition, Judah Cohen, professor of music in musicology and Lou and Sybil Mervis Professor of Jewish Culture in the Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program in the College, will assume the position of associate dean for faculty affairs, research, and creative activity on January 1. Judah has most recently served as associate vice provost for faculty and academic affairs for the Bloomington campus.
Please join me in thanking Jeremy Allen and Lissa May, while we welcome Demondrae Thurman, Judah Cohen, and Ryan Kelly to the leadership team of the school. | | |
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been astounded by the number of awards and honors for faculty, alumni, and current students that have reached my inbox. There is no question that the Jacobs community is second to none, but the list this fall is simply staggering. Please join me in congratulating those on this list.
Grammy Award Nominations
Once again, faculty and alumni from the Jacobs School of Music have received numerous Grammy Award nominations.
Faculty:
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The Grammy-winning Pacifica Quartet’s American Stories release, with clarinetist Anthony McGill, competes for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.
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Trombone professor Denson Paul Pollard, also a Grammy-winning member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, performs Terrence Blanchard’s Champion, vying for Best Opera Recording.
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Hsuan Chang Kitano is the producer, music director, and harpsichordist on Ensemble Cadenza 21’s Cadenza 21’, which is competing for Best Recording Package, with art director Hsing-Hui Cheng.
Alumni:
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Audio-engineering alumna Laura Sisk continues her blizzard of nominations and wins throughout her young career. This year, she is up for Record of the Year for Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero and, remarkably, three Album of the Year nominations, including Swift’s Midnights (also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album), Jon Batiste’s World Music Radio, and Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
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Another Grammy-winning alum, bassist Edgar Meyer, contends for three of the coveted statuettes this year, including with As We Speak, with Béla Fleck and Zakir Hussain, featuring Rakesh Chaurasia, for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, “Pashto” from As We Speak for Best Global Music Performance, and “Motion” from the same album for Best Instrumental Composition.
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Alumnus tenor Lawrence Brownlee teamed with pianist Kevin Miller for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album candidate Rising.
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Guitar graduate Alex Goldblatt appears as a guitarist and songwriter on 6LACK’s Since I Have a Lover, a Best Progressive R&B Album contender.
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Aquamarine, the second new age release from harp alumna Kirsten Agresta-Copely, is nominated for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album.
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While not directly nominated, two of alum Alex Berko ’s compositions are featured on The House of Belonging by Conspirare and the Miró Quartet, and one of his works is on Carols After a Plague by The Crossing, both albums vying in the Best Choral Performance category.
The Recording Academy will present the 66th Grammy Awards live from Los Angeles on Sunday, February 4, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
New Faculty Publications
It has been an incredible fall for faculty research. I recently pulled together a list of new monographs produced within the Music Education, Music Theory, and Musicology departments and was amazed.
Music Education
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Brent Gault, Professor of Music (Music Education), had a book published recently, General Music: Dimensions of Practice (co-edited with Carlos Abril) from Oxford University Press.
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Lauren Richerme, Associate Professor of Music (Music Education), has a new book under contract with Indiana University Press titled Popular music will not save us: Capitalism and music education.
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Along with Don Hodges (emeritus UNCG), Phillip Hash (Illinois State U), and Elizabeth Parker (Temple U)—Julia Shaw, Associate Professor of Music (Music Education), Lauren Richerme, Associate Professor of Music (Music Education), and Peter Miksza, Professor of Music (Music Education), had a methods text, Music Education Research: An Introduction, published by Oxford University Press.
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Pete Miksza published a practitioner-oriented text, Teaching Kids to Practice, from Conway publications, with a colleague from the U of Maryland, Stephanie Prichard.
Music Theory
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Eric Isaacson, Associate Professor of Music (Music Theory), Visualizing Music, published by Indiana University Press as part of its “Musical Meaning and Interpretation” series, edited by former Jacobs School faculty member Robert S. Hatten (University of Texas, Austin).
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Julian Hook, Exploring Musical Spaces, Oxford University Press.
Musicology
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Halina Goldberg, Professor of Music (Musicology), Nancy Sinkoff (Rutgers), and Natalia Aleksiun (University of Florida), Polish Jewish Culture beyond the Capital: Centering the Periphery, Rutgers University Press.
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Ayana Smith, Associate Professor of Music (Musicology), Inclusive Music Histories: Leading Change through Research and Pedagogy, Routledge, as part of the CMS Emerging Fields in Music series.
Selected Additional Recent Awards
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The Hollywood Reporter ranked the Jacobs School of Music in the top 10 best music schools in the world for the preparation of students in film, TV, gaming, and more.
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Jacobs presented its Centennial Award to ballet donors Kathy and Gary Anderson on September 16 and alumna Angela Brown on November 17 in Indianapolis. The award, which was established in 2021 to commemorate the school’s one-hundredth year, acknowledges those who have made a meaningful contribution to the advancement of music education, performance, advocacy, and/or philanthropy.
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The Balourdet Quartet
, the school’s graduate string-quartet-in-residence, won the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award presented by Chamber Music America (CMA). The award will be presented on January 21 during CMA’s 2024 Awards function at the organization’s National Conference in New York. As part of the Cleveland Quartet Award, the Balourdet Quartet will be presented by a consortium of eight organizations: Buffalo Chamber Music Society; Carnegie Hall; Chamber Music Society of Detroit; Freer and Sackler Galleries of Art at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.; Friends of Chamber Music in Kansas City, Missouri; Market Square Concerts in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Krannert Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and the University of Texas at Austin.
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Noriko Manabe received the Public-Facing Scholarship Award for her video article “Abe Road: Kuwata Keisuke’s Beatles Parody” at the November joint national meeting of the Society for Music Theory and the American Musicological Society: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DKwaS-l1lA.
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Julian “Jay” Hook received the Wallace Berry Award, given for a distinguished book by an author at any career stage, for his book Exploring Musical Spaces: A Synthesis of Mathematical Approaches from the Society for Music Theory.
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Dominick DiOrio, Professor of Music (Choral Conducting), was given the National Choral Conductor’s inaugural Distinguished Service Award “for his passionate leadership through the pandemic and for his years of dedication to the choral art through NCCO.”
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Lawrence Abernathy, D.M. student and current director of choirs at Washburn University, has been named winner of the 2023 American Prize in Conducting–The Dale Warland Award in Choral Conducting, college/university division.
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The school will host a memorial concert in honor of Distinguished Professor André Watts on Sunday, September 22, 2024, in Auer Hall. Details will be announced closer to the date.
While no memorial concert is being planned for Distinguished Professor Menahem Pressler, for his one-hundredth birthday on December 16, at the request of his family, a special program featuring him is scheduled to air on Saturday, December 16 at 5 p.m. on WFIU2 and Sunday, December 17, at 6 p.m. on WFIU. More information is at https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/. | | |
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Abra K. Bush |
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David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean |
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