Staff

Kate Cimino on the role of music and the arts as a bridge to creating community

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 14 May 2026 14:41:16 +0000

Kate Cimino on the role of music and the arts as a bridge to creating community Mariefaith Lane Thu, 05/14/2026 - 08:41

Adam Goldstein

Kate Cimino wants to break down walls through the power of music, art and expression.

Cimino, the College of Music’s Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives, sees music and the performing arts as a bridge to the broader �鶹ӰԺ community, as well as to partners across �鶹ӰԺ and the Front Range. In the last three years since joining CU �鶹ӰԺ, she’s been strategic about ensuring that word gets out about the college’s inclusive, wide-ranging opportunities for music and creative expression.

“In the performing arts and at the College of Music, we see ourselves as one of the front doors of the university,” Cimino notes, adding that—just as athletics serves as an access point to CU �鶹ӰԺ—so do the concerts, musicals, operas, recitals and the Golden Buffalo Marching Band. “Our students and faculty, as well as our many remarkable guest artists, are such an integral part of how performing arts are perceived in the �鶹ӰԺ area and beyond. We have an incredible reach beyond our own facilities.”

Cimino brings that same philosophy to a new role—one that has a direct impact on how arts and culture are perceived, consumed and considered across �鶹ӰԺ County. In April, Cimino began her term as one of the newest members of the �鶹ӰԺ Arts Commission, a seven-member body that, according to its mission statement, works to “support artists, enrich �鶹ӰԺ’s quality of life and economic vitality and help create a highly innovative vibrant and resilient city.”

Cimino’s new role as �鶹ӰԺ Arts Commissioner is another step on a career path that has fused academics, music and civic engagement. Before coming to the College of Music, Cimino served on the board of directors at MacPhail Center for Music, the nation’s largest community music school; she also served as the executive director of the Citizens League, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization with a mission to engage people in nonpartisan public policy and community initiatives.

Her new post on the �鶹ӰԺ Arts Commission draws on that experience, and that solid commitment to the power of the arts to strengthen and unify communities.

“I decided to apply to the commission for two reasons,” she shares. “One is that even though CU �鶹ӰԺ is such a massive part of what makes �鶹ӰԺ �鶹ӰԺ, it can be perceived as a city within a city. I wanted to serve as a liaison, a communicator, to increase transparency.

“The other reason is more personal. In other places where I’ve lived, I’ve always aimed to be connected to my community in multiple ways that overlap. I was seeking an opportunity to be part of the �鶹ӰԺ community in a different role.”

The standard term for a �鶹ӰԺ Arts Commissioner is five years and Cimino will have plenty of work to address in that time—from the arrival of the Sundance Film Festival (an event that Cimino sees as an invaluable opportunity to build long-term “collaborations and learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff”), to ensuring that CU �鶹ӰԺ student artists and musicians have the chance to bring their skills and inspirations to new venues and stages across the city and county of �鶹ӰԺ.

“The arts are such an essential part of humanity, and there are so many careers and career paths that touch on arts and culture in some way,” Cimino adds. “What I love about my job at the College of Music, and my new role as an arts commissioner, is that I’m helping amplify �鶹ӰԺ as a unique place where people—including our students—can discover paths that involve music, arts and culture in their life’s journey.”

The College of Music’s Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives Kate Cimino sees music and the performing arts as a bridge to the broader �鶹ӰԺ community, as well as to partners and collaborators across �鶹ӰԺ and the Front Range. Discover her philosophy on the role of the arts and culture in our society and her community engagement as a member of the �鶹ӰԺ Arts Commission.

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Dressing the “Vixen”: Meet the College of Music costume shop!

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:31:56 +0000

Dressing the “Vixen”: Meet the College of Music costume shop! Mariefaith Lane Thu, 04/02/2026 - 13:31

Kathryn Bistodeau

As Ann Piano walks me around the Imig Music Building, she opens doors into rooms I’ve never seen. Inside, racks of colorful fabric, shelves upon shelves of shoes, bins of belts and the ghosts of characters who had come before.

Piano, the college’s costume coordinator/designer + shop manager, joined the College of Music full-time in 2021. She and her team help advise the selection of opera and musical productions; then the creative work begins.

“Once the shows have been selected, I read them,” Piano says. “I research past productions. I look to see if it’s a show we should be trying to put into our stock—like, are those costume pieces useful? Can I reuse these things many times over the years?”

This spring, the costume team is creating ensembles for “The Cunning Little Vixen,” a 20th-century opera by Leoš Janáček presented by our Eklund Opera Program, April 16-19. The three-act opera explores the cycle of life through the fairy tale setting of a forest and the turning of its seasons.

The show features two “worlds” in its cast of characters—the human world consisting of roles like the Forester, the Innkeeper and the Parson; and the animal world including the Fox, the Dog and the titular Vixen. In Piano’s mind, the humans are inspired by traditional Bavarian fashion but with a colorful, patterned twist not usually seen in this show.

“A lot of times they make the humans sort of dark, gray and drab and that’s not my speed,” she says. “This is a life-affirming story, right? Let’s let the humans be colorful and bright. The stories are fairy tales and they are from that world—I thought we should be representing that.”

For the animals, the team is using earthy tones—browns, greens and rusts. To disguise the human actor underneath, Piano plans to use an abundance of textures and ruffles.

“It’s like this high fashion concept of textures and avant-garde touches to represent the animals. We’re disguising the shape of a human but not making them fully an animal.”

Along with Piano, the costume team includes Wardrobe Coordinator Carolyn Miller and Costume Shop Assistant Nia Quan, plus a few student positions, who costume some five shows a year across the college’s opera and musical theatre programs. For some shows, the team rents the bulk of the garments from another company, then creates pieces to fill in the gaps—as for “Oklahoma!” in March. Others, like “Vixen,” are fully imagined and executed by our team.

Piano’s excitement about the designs and vision for “Vixen” is palpable. She says one of her favorite parts of her role is the fittings—getting the student performers into the costumes and witnessing the final piece of the puzzle falling into place.

“They’ll try on two or three things and their faces just light up, and you know you found the right piece that makes them feel good to wear,” she says. “I think that’s really my job. I storytell a little bit with the arc and the color story—but really, my goal is to make the performers feel like they’re that character. That they can embody the character, look good and feel good about that.”

Due to significant campus activity and noise impacts on April 17 and 18 from a large university‑hosted event, several performances of “The Cunning Little Vixen” have changed. The dates and times currently listed on cupresents.org reflect the updated schedule.

Photo credit: Sarita Narayanswamy

Explore our Eklund Opera Program

Costume Coordinator/Designer + Shop Manager Ann Piano explains the process behind creating costumes for College of Music operas and musicals. She also explains her vision for the college’s production of “The Cunning Little Vixen,” April 16-19.

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The musical talents of College of Music staff members, Part II

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:50:39 +0000

The musical talents of College of Music staff members, Part II Mariefaith Lane Wed, 02/25/2026 - 08:50

Kathryn Bistodeau

In December 2025, the College of Music kicked off a series highlighting our incredible staff and their musical talents. The vast majority of our staff have a music degree(s) or musical background of some kind, adding to their passion for the college’s mission. In this edition, meet Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives Kate Cimino, Director of Macky Auditorium + CU �鶹ӰԺ Artist Series Rudy Betancourt and Senior Graduate Studies Coordinator Chris Martin.

Cimino joined her dad’s community band on bassoon for one of their concerts (2017).

For months, a whole wall of Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives Kate Cimino’s office was covered in rainbow-colored sticky notes. The notes were a physical representation of hopes and dreams for the college, as shared by faculty and staff at the college’s most recent annual all-hands retreat. Cimino sees her job as helping those dreams come to life.

“The way I would define my role is I’m helping us make sure that everyone in the building is on the same road, going in the same direction together. And that we are coordinating as best we can with the rest of campus,” she says.

Cimino has also been around music for as long as she can remember, both as an audience member and a participant—starting with piano and flute before moving on to the bassoon which became her main instrument.

“One of my earliest memories is my dad performing with his dance band/polka band at picnics, outdoor festivals and other events when I was tiny. That band was a big part of his life and our family’s life,” she says.

While Cimino hasn’t regularly performed since pre-pandemic, she’s actively seeking ways to reincorporate music into her life. This fall, she accepted an invitation to play on Professor of Flute Christina Jennings’ “Always a Flutist” recital, picking up the flute for the first time since 1995.

“You get to this point in your life where you’re like—am I willing to say I’m probably not going to ever do that thing again? Or, I’m not willing to put in the effort to do that thing again? And I thought, I’m not done with that. I need to get back to that,” she shares.

“So I have this little spark of motivation to get out the bassoon, start working on it again and figure something out. I’d love to play in an orchestra, but chamber music is great too. We’ll see.”

Betancourt working in his studio during a remote collab with musicians in Venezuela.
Photo: Rebecca Betancourt

Rudy Betancourt started playing classical guitar when he was 12 years old in Venezuela and fell in love with the instrument. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance and performed as much as he could. He planned to continue with a professional music career until a slip on the ice ended with a dislocated elbow and he had to look for other options.

“I took everything I learned on the margins, working in the administration of the Colorado Symphony and Swallow Hill, a folk music nonprofit in Denver—and discovered skills and talents that I didn’t think I had,” Betancourt says. “Those two jobs gave me the skills to run Macky which I’m so grateful got in my path and where I’m able to continue working in the performing arts, being creative.”

Today, Betancourt directs Macky Auditorium and the CU �鶹ӰԺ Artist Series. He’s been working at Macky for 15 years and compares working with his team to working with a chamber group or jazz ensemble.

“We have to leave our egos at the door and be very clear what our mission and objectives are,” he explains. “We have agreement—or a very good idea—where we want to be, where we want to go and what the end result is ... and we work together on that.”

Betancourt sees his work as a way to keep our community connected to one another: “At a time when business and everything seems so transactional, the performing arts remind us of our humanity and our deeper meaning as human beings. The arts keep us motivated and remind us what our mission is beyond Excel files, budgets, infrastructure and everything else.”

Martin and other CU �鶹ӰԺ-affiliated band members in the college’s production of “Postcard from Morocco” under Opera Music Director Nicholas Carthy’s baton (April 2022).

When asked to describe his job, Senior Graduate Studies Coordinator Chris Martin put it succinctly: “I make sure students graduate on time, as inexpensively as possible.”

Martin's College of Music career began in the opera department and he's been in his current role for eight years. He’s also a percussionist who frequently works with local groups like the Greeley Philharmonic, �鶹ӰԺ Philharmonic and �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Orchestra—along with teaching private lessons.

Martin further lends his musical talents to the college by playing a variety of percussion instruments in the pit orchestra for numerous productions including “Postcard from Morocco” (pictured), “Cabaret” last fall and “The Cunning Little Vixen,” upcoming.

His music background includes a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University and a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. While completing his education, Martin says he discovered he wanted something with more stability and a predictable schedule.

“When I got to grad school, I started to find more of a connection to teaching and education, so I thought I wanted to be a teacher,” he says. “I also got into production in New York and found that really interesting ... which led me to arts administration.

“That steered me to a ‘desk job’-type career and having a family.”

Martin works with every graduate student in the College of Music at some point in their studies; his favorite part of the job is meeting people from all over the world.

“Learning about what inspires them, why they're here and how they can be part of our community; and helping our students connect with other people—not just in the College of Music, but campuswide—and finding ways to invent new avenues for them,” he says. “It’s all student-driven.”

Learn about the College of Music’s universal musician approach

Discover more of our talented staff members’ musical inspirations! In Part II of our series, meet Kate Cimino, Rudy Betancourt and Chris Martin.

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CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Nathan Mertens awarded NEA GAP grant

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:52:24 +0000

CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Nathan Mertens awarded NEA GAP grant Mariefaith Lane Tue, 02/17/2026 - 17:52

College of Music

The �鶹ӰԺ College of Music is proud to announce that Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) grant valued at more than $35K. This is the College of Music’s first NEA GAP grant representing an important step forward for CU �鶹ӰԺ in national arts funding.

The funded initiative—“American Saxophone Concertos New Voices and Visions”—is part of the NEA’s Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary highlighting American composition and performance. The project centers on the professional recording of four saxophone concertos by living American composers, culminating in a commercial CD release.

A newly commissioned concerto by Anthony R. Green sits at the heart of the project. Written for Mertens—to be premiered with the CU �鶹ӰԺ Wind Symphony in fall 2026—this work is funded by the Bixler Family Foundation and a CU �鶹ӰԺ Research & Innovation Office Arts & Humanities Grant. In addition to Green’s concerto, Mertens will record another concerto with the Wind Symphony conducted by the College of Music’s Director of Bands Shanti Simon; as well as two concertos with the CU �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra under our Director of Orchestral Studies Gary Lewis (details forthcoming). All recordings will be engineered by the college’s Kevin Harbison.

“This is an exciting and important milestone for our college, in keeping with our universal musician approach to achieving our mission,” says John Davis, Dean of the College of Music. “Nathan’s work supports American composition at the highest level and offers many of our students access to a significant creative project from development to recording.” Students will work directly with composers in rehearsals and recording sessions and appear on the final album, earning a rare professional credit while still in training. Through collaboration with visiting composers and participation in professional sessions, the project prepares them for real-world performance and artistic collaboration.

“I am thankful to the College of Music and the �鶹ӰԺ for the support that made this possible. This was far from a solo effort and I’m very lucky to have colleagues at CU �鶹ӰԺ who turn complicated processes into something possible,” says Mertens. “I especially want to thank Donna Axel, Associate Director of Research Development at the CU �鶹ӰԺ Research & Innovation Office (RIO), for her guidance and encouragement throughout this process; and Tessa Brandt, Proposal Analyst in RIO’s Office of Contracts and Grants, for her budgetary wizardry!

“Grants are often associated with big, shiny ideas—but they really begin in the details, in offices and email threads. I’m excited to turn all these details into reality … and some fun!”

Congratulations!

Recording sessions will take place throughout 2026 and 2027 in CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Macky Auditorium.

Meet Nathan Mertens—NEA GAP grant recipient

Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) grant! This is the College of Music’s first NEA GAP award representing an important milestone for CU �鶹ӰԺ in national arts funding.

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The musical talents of College of Music staff members, Part I

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:25:13 +0000

The musical talents of College of Music staff members, Part I Mariefaith Lane Fri, 12/12/2025 - 10:25

Kathryn Bistodeau

It’s well known that the CU �鶹ӰԺ College of Music is home to incredibly talented faculty teaching passionate, gifted students. Less well known is just how many staff members have musical magic up their sleeves, too.

In fact, many of our staff earned music degrees themselves and remain actively involved in music—from playing in local orchestras to teaching lessons, composing or enthusiastically attending music events. In the first of a series spotlighting some of our musical staff members, meet Ensembles Program Coordinator Rachelle Crowell, CU Presents Director of Marketing + Public Relations Laima Haley, Media Specialist Dustin Rumsey and Assistant Dean for Advancement Andrew Todd.

Crowell performing with the �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Orchestra.

Rachelle Crowell earned bachelor’s and DMA degrees at CU �鶹ӰԺ and—for more than three years—now serves as the College of Music’s ensembles program coordinator. In this role, Crowell handles logistics for all of our large ensembles.

“Coming straight from my DMA in 2022, the College of Music felt like home to me. When I saw that a position was open, it felt like the right fit at the right time,” she says. “Being able to give back to the college that helped cultivate who I am as a person and as a musician—it’s just really fulfilling.”

Crowell is still heavily involved in performing in the area, recently subbing with the �鶹ӰԺ Philharmonic and the Colorado Symphony, and even traveling to New York City to perform with the �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, she’s an accomplished teacher, maintaining a private studio of 20 students and coaching chamber groups at the College of Music. This spring, she’s also stepping in to assist teaching students of Professor of Flute Christina Jennings while she’s on sabbatical.

“What I love about my role is the flexibility. Each day looks so different—I can do ensemble admin work, then go teach for a little bit and then wrap up my evening at an orchestra rehearsal. It’s like this perfect buffet of the things I love,” she adds.

Crowell advises future music graduates to trust that their skills are varied and transferrable. “I think for us as musicians, we can get in a mindset of ‘My skills are to sit down and play my instrument,’ but so much of what we learn as musicians carries over,” she shares. “It’s communication, it’s collaboration, it’s all of the hours of hard work that we do—the dedication. I think these skills are sought after in the job market, regardless of your career path.”

Haley in her traditional Lithuanian folk costume.
Photo: Eric Weber

Laima Haley began her College of Music career in 1998. She’s also been playing the violin since age 4. When she discovered fiddling in college, she fell headfirst into the world of both Eastern European and bluegrass and old time styles.

For her, working with colleagues in the College of Music who are also musicians makes “a huge difference,” even if they don’t have classical music training.

“They understand our industry really deeply,” explains Haley. “I know we think about music as art, and of course it is, but it’s also an industry. So to understand, what is the work of performing artists? How are we engaging our community? How are we talking about it? Having that perspective and experience really helps.”

Haley is closely connected to the local music scene, currently playing with several groups including Planina: Songs of Eastern Europe, The Rusty Gears Band and a bluegrass group called Smorgasgrass.

“For the Eastern European stuff, that’s my heritage, so it kind of makes sense in a way. I spent a year living in Lithuania, my family is Lithuanian,” says Haley. “The bluegrass and old time music—other than living in the United States, I have no family connection with that. But when I heard it, I thought, this rocks so much! I love this. I can’t stop listening to this.”

Music making introduced Haley to new people and communities that she treasures. Most of all, she wants to encourage people to rekindle their own love for the art—wherever you are in life, whatever your skill or experience.

“I just want to remind people that even if you don’t have a music degree or maybe you have a music degree from a long time ago, it doesn’t mean you can’t pick it up and start something later on,” she says. “I want to encourage people to find a community and jump into it, even if you think you’re not good enough. There’s a whole world of connection and joy of music that could open to you.”

Rumsey performing with the CU �鶹ӰԺ Brazilian Bateria percussion ensemble.

Everyone in our college knows Dustin Rumsey (BM ‘09, composition): In his decade working here, he’s demonstrated that he can solve any technological challenge. Rumsey sees to classroom technology needs and leads a team that livestreams College of Music concerts and recitals.

“The College of Music is a place where people are passionate about what they do and it’s a really positive environment,” he says. “A shared passion for our mission is clear, and really tangible.”

While earning his degree from the College of Music, Rumsey also earned a music technology certificate studying with Kevin Harbison, the college’s recording engineer, who would turn out to be his boss.

These days, Rumsey plays piano for fun and occasionally applies his composing and arranging skills to create accessible music for people he’s performing with; until recently, he also taught piano lessons. This fall, Rumsey joined the college’s Brazilian Bateria ensemble, performing with them last month.

He views his music background as a way to bond with faculty, staff and students alike. “When you have a faculty member whose main passion is music, when they learn that you share some of that experience and passion they light up a bit and it can create connection in the work environment. And then staff to staff, you have a really great shared experience and common background.”

Todd performing at a house concert in Chicago with Northwestern horn faculty Gail Williams.

Andrew Todd came to CU �鶹ӰԺ by way of the Grand Teton Music Festival, Aspen Public Radio and even a stint as a professional soccer player. Through it all, he never stopped making music.

Also an alum (DMA ’05, piano), Todd continues to keep music in his life, performing and recording whenever he gets the chance.

“There hasn’t been a time when I was like, I quit,” Todd says. “I certainly don't perform as much as I did before COVID, but I have shifted to making more recordings for streaming platforms which has been liberating and rewarding in its own regard.”

To him, the college’s universal musician approach to our mission is relatable, practical and more common than one might think. “I’ve actually found myself sometimes reminding people that developing universal musicians is demystifying a tradition we’ve had for hundreds of years. Musicians have commonly had more than one career path,” he says.

In his current position, Todd explains that his training as a performer has helped him with the preparation necessary to tackle large projects or presentations. “What I’ve found—even being on stage and speaking to 500 people about music—is that so much of what I do is about preparation,” he shares. “As a performer, you end up being more comfortable in those settings.

“The other thing you learn quickly is that you need other people. You really can’t fundraise by yourself, even if it’s a solo concert—you need a lot of collaboration and support. If you think that you’re going anywhere meaningful by going it alone, forget it.”

That collaborative element of both music making and fundraising is something he especially appreciates. “Music can be this middle space where people get together. People by and large can put their differences aside.”

Learn about the College of Music’s universal musician approach

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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 CU �鶹ӰԺ’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 CU �鶹ӰԺ 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 �鶹ӰԺ 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 CU �鶹ӰԺ 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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John Davis reappointed as dean of the College of Music

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 12:04:15 +0000

John Davis reappointed as dean of the College of Music Mariefaith Lane Wed, 09/03/2025 - 06:04

Sabine Kortals Stein

The �鶹ӰԺ College of Music is pleased to announce to our students, staff, faculty, alumni and community of supporters that CU �鶹ӰԺ Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ann Huff Stevens has reappointed John Davis as dean of the College of Music for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2026!

“I look forward to working with Dean Davis on continuing to improve the faculty and student experience in the College of Music, while also maximizing its scholarly and creative impact on Colorado, the nation and the world,” says Stevens.

“In reflecting on what we’ve accomplished thus far and the many opportunities that lie ahead, I’m struck by the fact that my initial priority as dean—to deepen a sense of culture, collaboration and community, both within the college and beyond our walls—is even more meaningful today than when I first interviewed for this role,” says Davis, who was named dean of the College of Music by former CU �鶹ӰԺ Provost Russ Moore, effective Jan. 1, 2021. “In particular, I believe that our newly established universal musician approach is key to achieving the college’s mission to inspire artistry and discovery, together.”

He adds, “To develop multiskilled, multifaceted professionals who are well-equipped to positively impact a complex, challenging world, we’re energetic in our pursuit of interdisciplinary, cross-campus collaborations. Our students today are offered increasingly flexible opportunities—including an expanding array of double majors, minors, degree emphases, certificates and microcredentials—to prepare for broadly based, sustainable career options.”

Aligned with University of Colorado President Saliman’s “Colorado Way”—which underscores the value of collaboration and teamwork toward expanding our collective reach and amplifying our direct impact on individuals and communities—Davis notes the College of Music’s ongoing refinement of strategic focus areas including: A relevant, adaptable curriculum and robust real-world opportunities for students; ensuring faculty and staff success; and emphasizing well-being, wellness and resilience among every member of our college community.

Adds Davis, “In a climate of unknowns, the profound purpose of music—to move us, to unify and remind us of our shared humanity, and to connect us across backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and generations—remains timeless, as does the power of music to inspire curiosity, compassion and wonder.

“I’m grateful and enthusiastic to continue to lead the important work that’s already well underway at our College of Music.”

Congratulations, Dean Davis!

The College of Music is pleased to announce that Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ann Huff Stevens has reappointed John Davis as dean of the College of Music for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2026!

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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, CU �鶹ӰԺ 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 �鶹ӰԺ 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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Distinguished professor shares delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:33:44 +0000

Distinguished professor shares delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday Mariefaith Lane Tue, 03/04/2025 - 11:33

Adam Goldstein

Photo credit: Manfred Fuß

The timing was unfortunate for Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday celebration.

Commemorations of the fêted composer came in 2020 (scholars’ best guess at his birthday is 1770), just as the world was shutting down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—and opportunities to experience the great artist’s music and legacy in person disappeared.

So David Korevaar, distinguished professor of piano at CU �鶹ӰԺ’s College of Music, sought alternative ways to honor Beethoven’s oeuvre in the face of lockdowns and social distancing.

“I found myself, like many of us, at something of a loss—no concerts, no in-person teaching, isolated at home,” Korevaar recalls now. “I had been thinking of filling in the gaps in Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas—there were a few that I had never played—and that inspired me to begin the process of playing through all of them and sharing ‘quick and dirty’ video recordings from home on my YouTube channel.”

Those videos (which are still available on Korevaar’s channel) were only the beginning. Korevaar found himself intrigued by the prospect of recording the complete sonatas properly and—in his role at the College of Music—he realized that he had the resources to realize that vision. With support from the college's C.W. Bixler Family Foundation Faculty Initiatives Fund, Korevaar set about doing justice to Beethoven’s timeless music.

“I talked with Kevin Harbison—the College of Music’s fantastic recording engineer—with Kawai America and with the college’s scheduling guru Brooke Balbuena to set up sessions in our gorgeous new Chamber Hall,” Korevaar says, adding that Kawai came through with a loan to the college of a 9-foot Shigeru Kawai concert grand for a year. “We recorded in a series of sessions that ended in July 2024 with all 32 sonatas completed.”

The next step was finding a way to share roughly 11 hours of music with the world. Enter Prospero Classical, a Swiss orchestral music label that offered Korevaar and his crew a thoroughly modern and multifaceted way to distribute the music. On March 7, the label will release a two-CD physical release of highlights from the sonatas followed by a series of digital-only albums of the sonatas issued chronologically.

“The two CDs will feature three sonatas from Beethoven’s ‘heroic’ period—so called because of the composition of the Eroica Symphony during this time: The Sonata Op. 53 (‘Waldstein’), Sonata Op. 54, Sonata Op. 57 (‘Appassionata’) as well as the ‘Andante favori,’ a movement originally intended to be part of the ‘Waldstein’ sonata,” Korevaar explains. “The second CD has two more sonatas, both of which Beethoven suggested be published as written for the ‘Hammerklavier,’ a German word for piano.”

All of the recorded sonatas (with the exception of Op. 106) are also up on Spotify as EPs; those are accessible here.

This approach offers a perfect way to share Beethoven’s music in the era of streaming and Spotify; it also offers a way to fulfill a musical mission that first came to Korevaar during the pandemic.

“I really wanted and, in a way, needed to do these properly,” he adds. “To record professionally, in a beautiful space, on a beautiful piano, with a first-rate engineer.”

Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar found an alternative to celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

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In memoriam: Dean Emeritus Robert Fink

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 18:51:00 +0000

In memoriam: Dean Emeritus Robert Fink Mariefaith Lane Thu, 12/19/2024 - 11:51

Our College of Music community is deeply saddened by the recent passing—on Dec. 7, 2024—of Dean Emeritus Robert (Bob) Fink.

Serving as dean from 1978 to 1993, Fink’s first initiatives at CU �鶹ӰԺ included the creation of a concerts office (now CU Presents) to manage all aspects of the college’s performance and publicity activities; and the acquisition of control of Macky Auditorium and the Artist Series.

His long-serving administration also saw the establishment of our American Music Research Center and the onboarding of our quartet in residence—the world-renowned Takács Quartet, currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

We’ll be sharing much more about Fink’s inspiring impact on our college—and a celebration of his legacy—in the new year.

Robert Russell Fink obituary

Our College of Music community is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Dean Emeritus Robert (Bob) Fink.

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