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
Recipients announced for Chamber Music America 2026 Awards (Nov. 18, 2025, The Strad)
Chamber Music America has announced the recipients of its highest awards for 2026 honoring ensembles that have made an impact on the field through leadership, creativity and artistic excellence, as well as rising talent and significant promise: CONGRATULATIONS to our very own Takács Quartet that will receive the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award in recognition for its career representing historic service on a national level. The quartet celebrates its 50th anniversary this year; its members have been artists in residence at our College of Music since 1986.
NATS announces national officers for 2026-2028 term (Nov. 10, 2025, National Association of Teachers of Singing)
The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) has elected officers for the 2026-2028 term including Nicholas Perna, the College of Music’s associate professor of voice and director of vocal pedagogy, as president-elect! “I am excited [...] to help lead NATS into a new, bright and diverse future as we invigorate our mission to transform lives through the power of singing.”
Veteran U.S. Air Force conductor joins CU Boulder as director of bands (Nov. 10, 2025, Daily Camera)
This Veterans Day, a spotlight on the College of Music’s new Director of Bands Shanti Simon: After seven years as a flight commander and associate conductor for the Air Force, Simon—who’s also a voting member of the Recording Academy and Grammys—left active duty and embarked on a path that led to CU Boulder. Learn more about her journey, and her approach to producing and directing CU Boulder bands, drawing national attention to our program.
