This Week at the College of Music: Community Edition - Dec. 1, 2022

Photo: Dean John Davis and CU President Todd Saliman show their school spirit at Saturday’s final home game. 

Dean’s Downbeat

“As the year sprints to a close, I look forward to ushering in the spirit of the season this weekend at our long-running, much-loved Holiday Festival. I hope to see many of you at Macky Auditorium, enjoying inspired, heart-warming performances featuring our talented students and faculty. Meanwhile, I’m pleased to share glad tidings: Professor of Conducting Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Allan McMurray was just notified of his selection for the CU Regents’ 2023 University Medal!” In the final Dean’s Downbeat of 2022, learn more about McMurray’s legacy; how the important, prescient work of the Sphinx Organization reflects the dean’s vision for the College of Music ... and more.

• Meet international student Samantha Torres: Music educator + DEI advocate
• They Were Ahead of the Curve on Diversity in Classical Music (The New York Times): The Sphinx Organization, led by Afa Dworkin and including our own Assistant Professor of Violin Alex Gonzalez, is celebrating 25 years of pressing the field for more diversity in repertory and rosters.
• New choral CD includes movements by the late Richard Toensing: The recently released CD—Heaven and Earth: A Song of Creation—features the world premiere of a unique collaborative setting of the Creation Psalm (103 LXX) by six acclaimed Orthodox choral composers. Toensing’s movements—“May the Glory of the Lord Endure to the Ages” and “Alleluia ... Glory to You”—were written in 2014, prior to his passing the same year. Toensing joined our faculty in 1973 and taught composition, music analysis and theory until his retirement in 2005.
• Call for proposals: CU Social Justice Summit, Jan. 31, 2023. The theme for the virtual summit is Operationalizing Liberation for a Diverse Democracy, which is a call to action to disrupt behaviors and oppressive actions, structures and systems preventing our collective liberation. Open to all undergraduate and graduate students, professional and frontline staff, faculty and engaged community members.

• Stay current with the College of Music in our online newsroom.
• Access upcoming CU Presents digital program books here.
• Other questions? Check out Buff Info, CU Boulder’s centralized resource.