Community Engagement
On Feb. 26 and 27, the College of Music’s annual Genevieve McVey Wisner Lectureship will feature trailblazing composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon. Even as he tackles weighty questions in his work, Chacon also finds power and joy in the ability to create—a boon he looks forward to sharing during his residency. “No matter what our occupation or how we spend our daily lives, we should be conscious of the work we can do to improve upon justice and the way we treat each other,” says Chacon, the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.
On Jan. 19, 2025, Colorado Clarinet Day returns to the ¶¶Ňő¶ĚĘÓƵ Boulder College of Music! The annual day-long event this year features internationally acclaimed clarinetist Mariam Adam.
“I find myself thinking about all our former quartet members—we wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone today except for them,” says first violinist Ed Dusinberre. Adds second violinist Harumi Rhodes, “It’s a monumental moment and we’re approaching it with a sense of awe. I feel humbled. Yet, in another sense, for us it’s business as usual.” And much of that business takes place right here in Boulder.
After almost 15 years at the helm of Macky Auditorium, Rudy Betancourt has also been named the new director of the College of Music’s long-running Artist Series which has brought the finest jazz, classical, world music and dance performers to town for more than eight decades.
Andrew (“Metz") Metzroth can’t contain his joy when he talks about his new job as executive director of ¶¶Ňő¶ĚĘÓƵ Presents. “I want to bring audiences into performing arts experiences,” he says.
Last summer, the College of Music and Sphinx Performance Academy kicked off a new partnership to welcome talented string students—ages 11-17—to our campus for an intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity. This month, it’s déjâ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and more, culminating in public performances tonight and this weekend.
This year marks a milestone for Professor of Musicology Carlo Caballero who—along with his academic partner Stephen Rumph, professor of music history at the University of Washington—will co-host the Fauré Centennial Festival in Boulder, Feb. 27-March 3.
Mention Jamaican music to most Americans and the pop sounds of reggae usually come to mind. But there’s much more—the wonderfully rich harmonies of choral music, hundreds of rarely heard sacred songs and folk songs that deserve more exposure. Doctoral student O’Neil Jones is about to make that happen.
Associate Professor of Music Theory Steven Bruns and the late, renowned composer George Crumb shared a close, long-lasting professional relationship and a deep friendship that began in 1992. As Bruns nears retirement this spring, he reflects on his role as Crumb’s archivist and biographer.
Alumnus Dylan Fixmer’s variegated and prolific career aims to inspire empathy and advance community engagement.