News archive

In a delayed celebration of the College of Music’s 100th anniversary, the CU Symphony Orchestra will perform a specially commissioned work by renowned composer Christopher Theofanidis. “The one thing you can do is create something that represents you—a musical poem that you leave behind for others to enjoy and perform,” says the Grammy-nominated composer whose “On the Bridge of the Eternal” will debut in Macky Auditorium on April 26.

The Genevieve McVey Wisner Memorial Scholarship Fund—named in honor of the lifelong activist and pioneering music educator—will provide undergraduate and graduate scholarship awards for underrepresented music students. Wisner, whose parents were among the first Black families to settle in Boulder in 1897, became the first Black graduate of the College of Music in 1940 with a bachelor’s degree in music education, followed by a master’s degree in 1944.

As the 2021-22 academic year races toward the finish line, there are still many terrific performances to enjoy! Don’t miss the final two Chamber Music Showcase performances featuring student groups from every department … and including new group arrangements and diverse repertoire.

To support our students’ and our community’s musical development, the College of Music offers summer session courses and richly varied summer programming.

Recent alumnus Kaleb Chesnic has already made his mark on flute repertoire by transcribing all three of Edvard Grieg’s violin sonatas. He shared with us how his debut recording with collaborative pianist and alumna Nathália Kato came to be.

The College of Music’s Diverse Musicians’ Alliance presents this year’s Diversity in Performance event—“Roots and Branches”—on March 31.

We’re thrilled to welcome a new assistant dean for advancement! Andrew Todd, an alumnus of the CU Boulder College of Music (DMA ‘05), will join our team on April 1.

Recently, The Washington Post listed “22 composers and performers to watch in 2022.” Included were two CU Boulder College of Music students: Kedrick Armstrong, a first-year master’s student in orchestral conducting and composer Anthony Green, who attended our Doctor of Musical Arts program. Be inspired by the impressive trajectory of their careers and learn how both confront issues of diversity in classical conservatory curriculum.

In this edition of our monthly Dean’s Downbeat, John Davis reflects on our students’ successes, introduces new violin faculty—welcome, Alex Gonzalez!—and celebrates Susan Thomas’ BFA Excellence Award. Transcending pandemic burnout, “our faculty offer anchorage through their teaching excellence, and their wonderfully consistent artistic achievements as performers, composers and researchers,” he writes.

On Feb. 20, flutist Courtney Badura (BM '23) and violinist Reuben Kebede (AD '22) took the "gold." Congratulations!