Happenings
There’s always something exciting happening at the College of Music! Stay informed and get to know our community through our accomplished students, alumni, faculty, supporters and college leadership.
Recent news
Dean’s Downbeat
Innovation as a collaborative act
Greetings “from the road” where I’ve been engaged in two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) 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. MORE
Browse previous editions of the Dean’s Downbeat,
a regular communiqué from Dean John Davis.
Noteworthy media mentions
Italian guitarist Nicolò Spera: an afternoon of new music (June 3, 2026, Cleveland Classical)
On the heels of spearheading the college’s 2026 CU Boulder Guitar Summer Academy, Associate Professor of Guitar Nicolò Spera will perform new works in Cleveland this weekend including the world premiere of our Professor of Composition Carter Pann’s “Cinque Pezzi per l’intuizione Italiana” as well as works by Christopher Theofanidis for guitar, flute and viola featuring Professor of Flute Christina Jennings and her violist husband Matthew Dane—we the many collaborations among our faculty, year-round!
Boulder-born Heidi Alina returns to piano after 30 years (Five Questions) (June 1, 2026, Daily Camera)
This spotlight on alumna Heidi Alina (BM ’91, piano performance) illuminates the evolution of a multifaceted musical life: “I’ve always loved how music makes me feel, the challenge it presents on so many levels, and how I can touch and open the hearts of others when I play.”
Two to tango: Study shows dancers’ brains sync up as they move together (May 4, 2026, CU Boulder Today)
Co-authors of a new study—including our Assistant Professor of Music Technology Grace Leslie—have discovered that, when dancers are in tune with each other, their brains may sync up, helping them move as one.
