Wennerstrom Music Theory Associate Instructor Fellowship
(est. 2007)
Mary H. Wennerstrom, former Professor of Music Theory and Associate Dean for Instruction for the Jacobs School of Music, received the Gail Boyd de Stwolinski Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Music Theory Teaching and Scholarship in November 2006. The de Stwolinski Prize is awarded because of exemplary classroom teaching, an interest in pedagogical research in music theory, and demonstrated mentoring of students. In recognizing her Gail Boyd de Stowlinski prize, she established the Wennerstrom Music Theory Associate Instructor Fellowship.
Mary Wennerstrom Phillips was born in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. She received three degrees from Indiana University: an undergraduate one in piano and two graduate degrees, including the Ph.D., in music theory. She joined the IU faculty in 1964 as a member of the music theory department and for many years was chair of the department, teaching courses to large numbers of undergraduate and graduate students. Her publications include articles, music editions, and theory texts, particularly anthologies. In the 1990s she was editor of the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy and the chair of the Committee of Examiners for the GRE Revised Music Exam. In 2002 she became the Associate Dean for Instruction in the Jacobs School of Music and continued to teach graduate music theory courses until her retirement in January 2016, after almost 52 years on the IU faculty.
The Wennerstrom Music Theory Associate Instructor Fellowship is used annually to support associate instructors in the music theory department at the Jacobs School. Each music theory AI recipient should have demonstrated similar excellence in the teaching of music theory.