Vanderbilt

The final round of the 2022 Vanderbilt University Concerto Competition took place on January 29. Forty-five students competed over the past two weekends. The winners will perform as featured soloists with the Vanderbilt University Orchestra on April 9. Special thanks to our judges, Charlene Harb (piano, Nashville Symphony), Keith Sorrels… Read More

The Blair School of Music is pleased to announce that, effective immediately, we will once again welcome public audiences to attend most concert events in person. Some selected curricular events will only be open to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff with a valid Vanderbilt ID.  Please read all information about… Read More

William Woodard, BMus ’17 Name: William Woodard Blair major: Piano performance with a concentration in collaborative piano Year of graduation: 2017 Where you live now: New York City What does a typical day look like for you now? I’m currently a member of the Lindemann Young… Read More

Five world-class, transformational artists will be joining the faculty of the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music in Fall 2021, Martha Rivers Ingram Dean of the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music Lorenzo F. Candelaria has announced. “Any one of these new faculty hires would have been a big story,” says Candelaria. Read More

As COVID-19 continues to be a concern, the Blair Sch0ool of Music is implementing the following in-person attendance policies for concerts and events taking place this fall: All Vanderbilt community members (students, faculty and staff) are welcome to attend our events and recitals. No external participants from outside the Vanderbilt… Read More

The Vanderbilt University Orchestra, under conductor Robin Fountain, winds down its Spring 2021 concert season with a prerecorded performance of Béla Bartók’s “Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Sz. 10.” This iconic masterpiece of the 20th century is scored for double string orchestra, piano (often in a solo role, played… Read More

Vanderbilt Opera Theatre presents ‘Albert Herring’ April 16; Vanderbilt Steel Bands perform April 18 The Blair School of Music, which has been offering online-only concerts this semester, is hosting two outdoor in-person performances on Wilson Lawn that are open to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff. Admission is free, but tickets… Read More

On January 30, Vanderbilt Blair School of Music plans a concert of music by Black composers in honor of the public grand opening of the new National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM). The program will include performances from Vanderbilt Blair faculty, undergraduates and Blair Academy students, and will… Read More

As part of Vanderbilt Blair’s ¡BLAIR! (Blair’s Latin American Initiatives and Resources) activities this semester, members of the Vanderbilt Wind Symphony, directed by Thomas Verrier, joined (virtually) with members of the Banda Sinfónica de Estudiantes de la Universidad de Antioquia in Meddelín, Colombia. The result is this wonderfully produced… Read More

The Blair String Quartet records Vanderbilt’s first-ever virtual reality concert. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced performing arts organizations to get increasingly creative in how we present performances both safely and accessibly. Thanks to the tireless work of our technical crew, the Blair On Air live-streamed fall concert series has been… Read More

On June 16, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan Wente shared the university’s plan for how we will return to campus for the fall semester.  As you already know, this semester will differ from previous semesters in many ways.  To begin with, here are the Fall Calendar Dates: Start date:… Read More

Dear Friends of the Blair School: Since May 25, we have been moved and inspired as the nation has come together to strive for greater social and racial justice. Often throughout our history, terrible events have awakened our nation, jarring us from complacency and stirring us to action. Such is… Read More

In preparation for this most unusual commencement, we asked the Blair faculty if they had any parting words for the members of the Class of 2020:   Best wishes to the Blair Class of 2020 from the Music “LiBlairy” staff! As you move on to new adventures in different places,… Read More

… Read More

Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra is looking for conductors for the 2020-21 school year! Founded in 2012, the Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra (VCO) is Vanderbilt University’s largest student-run orchestra. Their purpose is to bring together musicians from all aspects of the Vanderbilt community and share the music we love. They rehearse… Read More

Select events at the Blair School of Music may be viewed live online via our live-streaming service. Schedule is subject to change without notice. Questions, comments and service issues may be submitted via the web form at the bottom of the streaming page.   No events are currently scheduled… Read More

The Academic Pathways Postdoctoral Fellowship at Vanderbilt is a research/mentorship program that is designed to bridge fellows between academic training and entry-level faculty positions. The program includes teaching and leadership training, grant and manuscript writing and preparation, a multi-level mentoring framework, as well as substantial “protected time” for the pursuit of each… Read More

From Left: John R. Schmidt, Shadle, Alex Ross, Riccardo Muti (Photo: Dennis Polkow)   Douglas Shadle (Associate Professor and Chair, Musicology) celebrated the publication of the book A Portrait in Four Movements: The Chicago Symphony under Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink, and Muti (U. of Chicago, 2019) at a panel… Read More

Name: Jonathan Chu Blair major: Violin performance, with second major in economics Year of graduation: 2003 Where you live now: St. Louis, Mo. Profession: Violist with the St. Louis Symphony What does a typical day look like in your career? I play in the St. Read More

Name: Ben Edquist Blair major: Vocal musical arts Year of graduation: 2013 Where you live now: Houston Profession: Currently a contract opera singer. (Ben works with an agent in New York that sets up auditions every November and December.) Previously in the Young Artist Program with… Read More

On February 2, the Schmidt Vocal Competition will be held at the Blair School. The prestigious singing competition is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school and awards cash prizes to more than 150 students annually. The one-day competition is held annually in 16 locations around the… Read More

Name: Charlotte Ulrich Blair major: Vocal Performance Year of graduation: 2015 Where you live now: Nashville Profession: IQ Talent Partners, a Nashville-based tech recruiting company founded by two Vanderbilt graduates (www.iqtalentpartners.com) What does a typical day look like in your career? I like what… Read More

Blair School trombone student Hiram Rodriguez was one of just seven musicians picked to perform as the SEC Student Music Ensemble during the SEC Football Championship weekend. The ensemble of musicians from across the SEC performed an improvisational jazz set before thousands of SEC administrators, staff and fans at the… Read More

The second annual Precollege Festival of Music will take place at the Blair School from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, with tons of musical family fun throughout the school! All events are free and open to the public. Here’s what’s happening when: 1-5 p.m. Musical instrument petting zoo, crafts, face… Read More

Name: Dana Kelley Blair major: Violin performance Year of graduation: 2012 Where you live now: New York, N.Y. Profession: violist in the Argus Quartet, and the newest member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for the 2018-19 season. What does a typical day look like in your… Read More

Some children excel at soccer. Others take to dance. Natalie Vlach, as a young girl, fell in love with her electronic keyboard. Unlike some childhood infatuations, however, Vlach’s passion for piano endured and deepened, leading eventually to her winning the Linde B. Wilson scholarship at the Blair School. Vlach was… Read More

Name: Evan Mack Blair Major/VU: Piano performance Year of Graduation : 2003 Where you live now: Albany, N.Y. Profession: Composer, librettist and pianist; teaching professor in piano, composition and music theory at Skidmore College (eight years) Currently: Named “2018 Top 30 Pros of the Year” by… Read More

Katrina Lenk, Jonathan Raviv and Tony Shalhoub in “The Band’s Visit.” The Band’s Visit, a musical about an Egyptian orchestra stuck for a night in a remote Israeli town, swept the Tony Awards on June 10, winning 10 awards including Best Musical. The show’s small cast, which features Katrina Lenk… Read More

The Nashville Summer Orchestral Institute, an intensive weeklong summer program, returns to the Blair School May 28-June 1. Students in grades 8-12, graduate students and adults spend a week in intensive orchestral sessions, master classes, sectional rehearsals and a concerto competition. The week culminates in a full orchestra concert… Read More

Several Blair precollege students were top finishers at the Nashville Symphony‘s annual Curb Concerto Competition. Violinist Maggie Kasinger (center), a student of Carolyn Huebl, was first runner-up. Horn player Shawn Zheng (left) and pianist Luke Turner (right) were both finalists. Zheng is a student of Leslie Norton and… Read More

Name: Andy Villemez Blair Major/VU: Piano Performance Year of Graduation: 2010 Where you live now: Cincinnati, Ohio Profession: Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Currently: Gave a presentation at the 2019 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy titled… Read More

At the ACDA Southern Region convention,  four honor choirs will gather to rehearse and perform under the baton of outstanding conductors. Twenty-eight Blair Children’s Chorus students were chosen through auditions to participate. The regional auditions included students from 11 states: Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina,… Read More

Applications are now open for scholarships to the Blair School’s precollege programs for the 2018-19 academic year. Merit- and need-based scholarships are available for private instruction and Suzuki violin and cello. Learn more about our scholarship programs and download the application. Read More

Name: Alicia Enstrom Blair Major/VU: Violin Performance/minor in HOD with emphasis in Leadership Year of Graduation: 2009 (She was slated to graduate in 2006, but took a break to pursue an opportunity to tour with international violin troupe Barrage.) Where you live now: Nashville What have… Read More

Is a summer music camp right for my young musician? A workshop for parents of young musicians will be held at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 21 in Room 2190 at Blair. Violin instructor Carolyn Huebl, Suzuki program director Zachary Ebin and associate dean Pam Schneller will discuss the options, from Suzuki… Read More

The Silent Voices Project is a program through which very young contemporary composers write string quartets and trios based on poetry written by children who died in concentration camps during the Holocaust. The pieces have been performed in concerts in Canada and the U.S., and an album was released… Read More

Photo by Ben Ealovega Attention Vocal Coaches! The Blair School of Music will host the third biennial Roger Vignoles Mentoring Program for Young Vocal Coaches from May 26-29, 2018. This is an intensive four-day program for coaches at the beginning of their professional careers (less than 10 years of experience). Read More

Peter Cain (photo by Scott Suchman) Name: Peter Cain Blair Major/VU: Clarinet Performance Year of Graduation: 2007 Where you live now: Silver Spring, Md. (suburb of Washington D.C.) What does a typical day look like in your career with the National Symphony Orchestra? I’ll have four… Read More

Join Blair’s Mitchell Korn in a six-class series exploring the great symphonic composers who scored the best in cinema. Hugo Friedhofer’s The Best Years of Our Lives, Franz Waxman’s Sunset Boulevard, Dimitri Tiomkin’s High Noon, Alfred Newman’s Love is a Many-Splendored Thing, Malcolm Arnold’s The Bridge on the River… Read More

Head downtown to Schermerhorn Symphony Center anytime between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, for Nashville Symphony’s annual Day of Music. More than 20 performers and groups will perform on three stages throughout the day. Blair performing groups and times are listed below: Noon: Blair Big… Read More

Name: Blake-Anthony Johnson Blair Major/VU: Cello Performance Year of Graduation: 2012 Where you live now: Miami Beach, Fla. What does a typical day look like in your career? That’s really hard to answer! Playing in Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Orchestra rehearsals three to five times a week,… Read More

The Craig Nies concert scheduled for September 29 has been postponed due to injury. The program will now be performed on April 6. We apologize for the inconvenience. Read More

Marvelous and versatile soprano Ah Young Hong made her Blair School performance debut in October 2015, performing Michael Hersch’s monodrama On the Threshold of Winter. This fall she returns for a weeklong residency at Blair, including two performances and a master class. All events take place in Steve and Judy… Read More

Composition professor Michael Kurek’s new album The Sea Knows has held the top position on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Albums chart for three weeks, since its July 14 release. It debuted at No. 4 on the overall Top Classical Albums chart, dropping to No. 5 in its second and third weeks. Read More

Gregory Melchor-Barz conducted field research in Israel during the summer on a research fellowship funded by the Jewish National Fund and Mediawatch. His current fieldwork project focuses on the politics of Israeli drag performances in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Melchor-Barz is Professor of Ethnomusiclogy, chair of the Department… Read More

The Blair School is now accepting reservations for auditions for the 2017-18 season of Curb Youth Symphony and Nashville Youth Orchestra Program. Auditions will be held in August. Reserve your audition now by emailing your name, instrument, grade and cell phone number to the NYOP Auditions Coordinator. The Nashville… Read More

Audition dates have been set for the Blair Children’s Choruses for the 2017-18 season: Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m.-noon Monday, May 22, 5-7 p.m. Saturday, August 5, 10 a.m.-noon Monday, August 7, 5-7 p.m. All auditions will be held in room 1109C at the Blair School of Music. Signs will… Read More

Philip Dikeman, associate professor of flute at the Blair School of Music and acting principal flute of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, died at home from cancer April 20, 2017. He was 54 years old. Mr. Dikeman joined the… Read More

A number of Blair School of Music students participated in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Kentucky/Tennessee Regional Auditions, held April 7-8 at Belmont University. Blair students who placed included: Sarah Parker: First place, freshmen women Arielle Kasnetz: Second place, freshmen women Matt Shorten: Second place,… Read More

There is a threat of severe weather in Middle Tennessee today, with the worst projected for 5-8 p.m. Families who feel it is unsafe to travel should notify instructors as early as possible. Individual teachers may decide to cancel lessons or classes. Those who do will contact students directly, as… Read More

Mary Grace Johnson The 2016-17 MTNA National Competition was held March 17-20 in Baltimore, Md. To compete at nationals, musicians have already won their state and regional divisions. Several Blair School musicians competed, and brought home national honors: Mary Grace Johnson, violin, took first place in the strings category of… Read More

Due to injury, the Blair String Quartet must regretfully cancel its concert that was scheduled for Friday, March 24. We regret the inconvenience. Read More

Pianists Heather Conner and Caleb Harris have postponed their joint recital, originally scheduled for February 17, due to a scheduling conflict. That concert will now take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall. Please update your calendars. Read More

Applications are available now for precollege scholarships for the 2017-18 academic year. More than $225,000 will be awarded this spring for 2017-18 lessons in brass, percussion, woodwinds, piano, strings, voice, and folk instruments. Study with Blair’s acclaimed collegiate faculty! Application and complete details about scholarships available on the… Read More

Trombonist Roland Barber will join the faculty of the Blair School of Music in January 2017 as Adjunct Associate Professor of Trombone and Jazz Studies, teaching trombone, jazz brass and jazz improvisation. One-half of longtime Nashville-based jazz duo The Barber Brothers, Barber has also performed with an… Read More

We regret to announce that our Conversation with Robbie Robertson, a Salon@615 event that was scheduled for Tuesday, Dec., 13, has been cancelled due to illness. All tickets will be refunded. Details are available at the Parnassus Books website. Read More

Our new online registration system for precollege and adult lessons and classes will be available very soon for Spring 2017 registration. To learn how it works, download our user’s guide. When you’re ready, register here!… Read More

Acclaimed pianist Boris Giltburg, who will be in Nashville to perform with the Nashville Symphony, will conduct a master class with Blair’s piano majors from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, in Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall. Participation in the class is limited to Blair students by… Read More

Maggie Kasinger Kaili Wang Violinists Maggie Kasinger and Kaili Wang are the winners of the 2016-17 Curb Youth Symphony Concerto Competition. They will perform as featured soloists at the Curb Youth Symphony’s concert on May 8. Honorable Mentions went to cellist Nadja Geier and… Read More

Thinking about studying music in college? You are CHORDially invited to the Second Annual College Music Admissions Discussion, to be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, in Blair Classroom 2192. At the session, led by Blair’s assistant director of admissions, Molly Jewell, and Pam Schneller, associate dean of the… Read More

Acclaimed piano instructor Marvin Blickenstaff will be in residence at the Blair School on Saturday, September 17, for a full day of workshops, lectures and master classes. The sessions are co-sponsored by the Nashville Area Music Teachers Association and the Blair School. All sessions take place in… Read More

Photo by Denise Truscello Michael Kurek, associate professor of composition at the Blair School, has joined the roster of PARMA Recordings artists. PARMA will release its first album of Kurek’s works for chamber and large ensembles in 2017. The New Hampshire-based PARMA specializes in orchestral, chamber, choral… Read More

Tenor Tyler Nelson Photo courtesy of Tyler Nelson Tenor Tyler Nelson joins the Blair faculty as an associate professor of voice.Nelson is one of America’s most promising young tenors and already enjoys success with a wide variety of concert repertoire. His recent engagements have included a performance… Read More

  Charles Calotta performs "Flower in Your Hair," music and lyrics by Jack Coen, from Coen's Folk and Flora. Photo by Steve Green Collaboration and Kindness by Maria Browning Jack Coen. Photo by Daniel Dubois Jack Coen loves flowers. A composition and… Read More

Abbey, left, and Brigit may be twins, but they have different majors. Abbey is earning a bachelor of music degree in musical arts/teacher education (voice). After graduating, she plans to stay an additional year as part of Blair’s MA5 program to become a music educator, earning a… Read More

Photo by Steve Green In June, a jazz quartet from the Blair School of Music visited Colombia as part of the Centro Colombo Americano jazz collaboration program to perform, teach workshops and participate in jam sessions with Colombian musicians in the cities of Medellin, Manizales and… Read More

Ryan Middagh, director of jazz studies at Blair, left, and Jeff Coffin, instructor in jazz saxophone, play with the Blair Big Band. Photo by John Russell Nashville’s moniker “Music City” accurately reflects the proliferation of stellar musicians in town who play all types of music. At Vanderbilt’s… Read More

Steven Fiske as The Celebrant in Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" and members of the Blair Children’s Chorale By Bonnie Arant Ertelt, Photos by Daniel Dubois Mass takes place when the show’s lead character, the Celebrant, snaps, giving in to forces that make him question his faith. Read More

The Blair School is ringing in spring with A Celtic Celebration! With lots of toe-tapping traditional fiddle music, including the guitar expertise of Canadian Grammy-winning songwriter Gordie Sampson (“Jesus Take the Wheel”), it will be a night to celebrate Scottish, Canadian and Irish culture. The party will continue with Irish… Read More

An Evening With Jeff Coffin & the Nashville Jazz Composers Collective Featuring: MacArthur Genius Grant Recipient Ken Vandermark & Made to Break and Nashville of the Arts Big Band 7p.m. Friday, April 8, Ingram Hall Tickets: $15 general admission; $5 for students… Read More

Name: Michael Rinne Blair Major/VU: Double Bass performance Year of Graduation : 2010 Where you live now: Nashville Profession: Bassist and producer Most recently: On tour with Miranda Lambert Assistant Director of Admissions Molly Jewell had the pleasure of catching up with Blair… Read More

Three musicologists affiliated with the Blair School of Music received honors at the 42nd Annual Conference of the Society for American Music held in Cambridge, MA, March 9-13. Dale Cockrell, Professor of Musicology (Emeritus), received the Lifetime Achievement Award “in recognition of his pioneering… Read More

The Nashville Symphony has announced that Dr. Tucker Biddlecombe, Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, will take over as Interim Director of the Nashville Symphony Chorus in July. Biddlecombe assumes leadership of the chorus from current Director Kelly Corcoran,… Read More

Vanderbilt Percussion Group is the Blair School of Music percussion studio’s premier performing ensemble, directed by Ji Hye Jung. VPG’s repertoire includes contemporary works for unconducted chamber percussion ensemble. VPG’s spring program includes music that resonates with listeners from all backgrounds, with… Read More

Following its grand-scale fall production of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, Vanderbilt Opera Theatre returns with a change of pace. Written in 2013 by American composer Michael Ching, Speed Dating Tonight! is an immersive, interactive comic opera in one act about ordinary people looking for love in a post-millennial… Read More

Booker Prize-winning novelist Julian Barnes and highly acclaimed pianist Angela Hewitt join forces for an exciting musical and literary residency at the Blair School March 23-25. This is an exceptionally rare opportunity to see two such important and esteemed artists from different disciplines on the same stage. Read More

For the fifth year in a row, Cheekwood’s annual Cheekwood in Bloom spring celebration will include a special Drawing Room Concert Series featuring Blair School of Music performers. The last two Sundays in March and every Sunday in April, from 2-3 p.m., a… Read More

On February 20, the Blair Cello Choir, one of the ensembles in our precollege Suzuki program, performed the National Anthem before the Vanderbilt-Georgia men’s basketball game. The performance was a huge hit, and the ensemble has already been invited back to play again next season. Photos by Joe Howell, courtesy… Read More

Applications are now open for precollege scholarships for the 2016-17 academic year. Precollege students study with the same acclaimed instructors who teach our collegiate music majors! Merit and need-based awards are available for qualified elementary, middle and high school students. Complete information about available awards is available on the… Read More

Join us for a precollege panel discussion: The Challenge of Practicing — Tips for Parents, 2-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, Room 2192 at Blair. It’s something almost all parents of young musicians struggle with: How do you help your child build good practice habits, stay motivated, and practice his or… Read More

Due to winter weather in the Nashville area, Philharmonia Orchestra rehearsal on Feb. 14 is cancelled. Read More

Due to treacherous road conditions, all Kindermusik classes for Wednesday, Feb. 10, have been cancelled. Read More

1:10 P.M. UPDATE: Due to worsening road and sidewalk conditions, ALL precollege lessons, classes and ensembles will be cancelled on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Nashville Youth Repertory Orchestra rehearsal is cancelled for Tuesday, Feb. 9, due to winter weather. Rehearsals will resume Tuesday, Feb. 16. Read More

Due to winter weather in the Nashville area, Choristers rehearsal has been cancelled for Monday, Feb. 8. Curb Youth Symphony rehearsal is also cancelled for Monday, Feb. 8. Read More

UPDATE: For those who are not able to attend this evening’s Conversation with Robben Ford in person, the event will also be streamed live online starting at 8 p.m. CST. The feed may be viewed via our streaming site in the Steve & Judy Turner Recital… Read More

2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 2017 Applegate, Celia. The Necessity of Music: Variations on a German Theme. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2017. – Reviewed in Central European History (2017) Fry, Robert W. Performing Nashville: Music Tourism and Country… Read More

The Blair School’s award-winning Kindermusik program is expanding. This spring, Blair is pleased to add Cuddle & Bounce to our Kindermusic offerings. NEW CLASS! Cuddle and Bounce Ages: Infants-1 year with parent or caregiver Dates: 12:45-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, January 20-April 27 A class designed for new parents and their babies. Read More

The Society for Ethnomusicology recently honored The Cambridge History of World Music (ed. Philip Bohlman, Cambridge, 2014) with the Bruno Nettl Prize, an award that recognizes “an outstanding publication contributing to or dealing with the history of the… Read More

Sixteen members of the Blair Children’s Chorus program have been accepted to the Southern Division American Choral Directors Honors Choirs. Congratulations to these talented young singers! High School Women Kristen Stetzer Clara Warford High School Men Eli Culley Will Wallace Junior High SATB Don Pierce… Read More

Felix Pastorius, acclaimed jazz bassist, member of the Yellowjackets and Hipster Assassins and son of late jazz legend Jaco Pastorius, will perform with the Blair Big Band and Blair Jazz Choir on their season-ending concert, 8 p.m. Dec. 4 in Ingram Hall. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin, the newest… Read More

Recently, we had the pleasure of chatting with Blair graduate Miriam Sherk, and listening with amazement to her day-to-day schedule and accomplishments as a music therapist. It was fascinating to hear how much of a role music plays in her work, in her ability to do… Read More

While in Nashville to perform Julia Wolfe’s acclaimed “Steel Hammer” at OZ Arts Nashville this weekend, Bang on a Can All-Stars will visit Blair for a chamber music master class. The class will take place from 12:20-2:25 p.m. Thursday, November 19, in Instrumental Rehearsal Hall. Read More

The Music Teachers National Association Tennessee performance competition was held over the weekend at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Winners included the following Blair School precollege and collegiate students. Congratulations to all of them! Winner of Chamber Music String: Aurelius String Quartet (students of Stephen Miahky) Alternate of… Read More

The Estrella Consort, a saxophone quartet founded at Arizona State University, will visit the Blair School on Monday, November 16, for a mini-concert and master class with Blair’s saxophone students. The recital runs 1:10-2 p.m. in Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall, and the master class runs… Read More

Carol Nies conducts the Curb Youth Symphony. Congratulations to Carol Nies, the 2015 winner of the Carol Crittenden Arts Advocate of the Year, awarded by Nashville Singers. Below is the announcement from the Nashville Singers News. Congratulations, Carol! Dr. Carol Nies Selected to Receive the 2015 Carol… Read More

The Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University is pleased to announce the appointment of internationally acclaimed trumpeter Jose Sibaja as Associate Professor of Trumpet. He will join the faculty in August 2016. “I’m incredibly excited to join the Blair School of Music,” said Sibaja, “an institution… Read More

The Curb Youth Symphony 2015 Concerto Competition was held on Sunday, November 1. The winners are, in alphabetical order: Joy Fan, violin Jenna Mangum, violin Honorable mentions, also in alphabetical order: Jocelyn Hartley, cello Dustin Lin, clarinet Kazuki Takizawa, piano… Read More

Trumpeter Jens Lindemann is hailed as one of the most celebrated soloists in his instrument’s history and was recently named “International Brass Personality of the Year” (Brass Herald). He has played in every major concert venue in the world, from the Philharmonics of New York, Los Angeles,… Read More

Choristers rehearsal, which usually takes place 6:20-7:20 p.m. Mondays, is cancelled for October 26. Concert Choir, however, will meet as scheduled. Read More

On October 24, immediately following the Blair String Quartet’s performance in Ingram Hall, the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University will formally unveil the Kraus Collection, a set of five music-themed paintings by noted artist Harold Kraus. The collection includes “Splendid Pipes,” a new work by… Read More

The Blair School of Music will offer its first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) early in 2016: “Understanding the Music Business: What is Music Worth,” taught by Assistant Professor of Musicology Jen Gunderman and offered through the Coursera… Read More

We enjoyed spending an afternoon catching up with Blair School of Music alumna Emily Nelson, B.Mus. ’10. She talked about how Blair helped shape her as a person and a musician, and how Vanderbilt as a whole helped her discover what she wanted to do with her… Read More

Update (10/5/2015): See a video of the performance here. Join us for a theatrical reconstruction of conversations between the Austrian composer Hanns Eisler and the Bertolt Brecht scholar Hans Bunge. The conversations will be performed by… Read More

  Joy H. Calico, Professor of Musicology at the Blair School of Music and Director of the Max Kade Center for European Studies at Vanderbilt University, recently spoke about her latest book, Arnold Schoenberg’s “A Survivor from Warsaw”… Read More

Novelist Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections and Freedom, will speak at the Blair School’s Ingram, Hall on Wednesday, September 23, talking about his new novel, Purity. Tickets are $33.50, which includes a copy of the book. Tickets are available through the Salon@615 website. Discounted student… Read More

Due to the Labor Day holiday, Philharmonia will not rehearse on Sunday, September 6. However, Curb Youth Symphony will rehearse on Monday, September 7, as usual. Read More

We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Blair School alumna Sarah Williams, B.Mus. ’06, and learning about her post-Vanderbilt music career. As a piano teacher, performing pianist and singer-songwriter, Williams’ days are a balancing act between creativity, efficient practice and time management. We asked her… Read More

The Blair School of Music admissions team invites high school students and parents to “College 101: The Blair Necessities.” We’ll answer questions and offer guidelines to prepare for any college application and/or music school audition — not just for the Blair School — and provide a general overview of financial… Read More

Blair School undergraduate student Ramakrishnan Kumaran has won first place at the National Flute Association’s annual Young Artist Competition. He is the youngest student ever to win this honor. Kumaran is a sophomore flute performance major studying under Philip Dikeman. He will perform a winner’s recital August 14 in San… Read More

This fall, the Blair School of Music is expanding our Suzuki violin program. We’ve added a new instructor, Tina Simpson, and expanded the hours of our existing instructors. It’s the perfect time to get your child involved! Suzuki instruction builds students’ self-discipline and character. It does… Read More

On a Monday afternoon in early September, Blair School of Music senior Kelby Carlson was crossing Children’s Way, the street that runs in front of the Blair School, just as he had done countless times before. Carlson, who is blind, was with his service dog, a 4-year-old yellow lab named Elvis. Read More

New Director of Admissions Thomas Crespo is making a return to the Blair School — he graduated from Vanderbilt in 2011 with a bachelor of music in bassoon performance and double minors in leadership and organization and in corporate strategy. Crespo earned a master of music in bassoon… Read More

Dwayne Sagen and Roland Schneller (photo by John Russell) Dwayne Sagen, left, and Roland Schneller retired from the Blair School of Music June 30. Sagen, who served as assistant dean of admissions at Blair and also as director of bands since 1986, was honored with a composition… Read More

Tucker Biddlecombe, associate professor of choral activities and choral director, served as conductor for the Florida All-State men’s chorus in 2014. He has also been engaged to conduct two all-state choruses in 2016, the Arkansas All-State Male Chorus and the New York All-State Mixed Chorus. Read More

Dean Mark Wait, Founder's Medalist Nora Pertz and Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos at the May 8 graduation ceremony. At 14, Nora Pertz began pestering her mother to let her study abroad. Her high school piano teacher found a program in Vienna in which Pertz studied piano… Read More

A Gift for the Future On February 7 and 8, the Blair School of Music hosted the inaugural concerts on its new Dobson Organ, Opus 92. Modeled after German organs of the 18th century, the instrument, built by the Dobson Organ Company and installed last August, is in the… Read More

The Vanderbilt BhangraDores dance group collaborated with the Vanderbilt Chorale on a piece at February's Choral Prism concert. Photo by Steve Green When Tucker Biddlecombe, associate professor of choral activities and choral director, first came to the Blair School of Music in 2012, Blair-based performing choirs were… Read More

Stephen Miahky, Joseph Joachim Professor of Violin A teaching continuum More than most professions, music celebrates the line of succession from teacher to student. Almost all master performers are also master teachers, passing on knowledge gained from experience to the next generation. Read More

Brian Cooper, who graduated in May with degrees in musical arts (clarinet) and bioinformatics, in the lab of Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences Antonin Rokas, where he helped develop a tool to look at research on evolutionary genomics. Photo by John Russell Brian Cooper’s typical day… Read More

Jenna Mangum, precollege violin student of Connie Heard, performs at a weekly studio class that includes both precollege and college students. Photo by Susan Urmy   Most undergraduate students don’t have much contact with younger or older learners during their college years. They inhabit a sort of… Read More

Carol Smith, director of the Blair School’s Suzuki strings program, has added an additional information session for families interested in Suzuki instruction for Fall 2015. Sessions will be held 10-11 a.m. Saturday, August 8, and 11 a.m.-noon Saturday, August 15, in Room 1161 at the Blair School. Families interested in… Read More

There has been a change in the dates for precollege piano auditions for students with one or more years of previous study. These placement interviews are for students who plan to take private piano lessons at Vanderbilt’s Blair School in the Fall 2015 semester. Auditions will now be held on… Read More

Joy H. Calico, professor of musicology and European studies and director of the Max Kade Center for European and German Studies, has been invited to deliver the German Studies Association/Berlin Program Distinguished Lecture at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany, on June 30. Calico’s… Read More

(From left) David Bender, Maggie Kasinger and Kaili Wang. Photo courtesy of Nashville Symphony For the second year in a row, Blair School precollege students took top honors at the annual Nashville Symphony Curb Concerto Competition, held March 15 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Violinist Kaili Wang, a… Read More

Sunday, May 17 7 p.m., Ingram Hall Philharmonia Carol Nies, director Our newest youth orchestra presents its season-ending concert! Presented with gratitude to the Valere Blair Potter Trust for its generous support of the Blair School… Read More

Sunday, May 10 2 p.m., Ingram Hall Blair Children’s Choruses Tucker Biddlecombe and Mary Biddlecombe, directors Featuring the Blair Children’s Concert Choir, Young Men’s Chorus, Chorale, Blair Choristers, Nashville Boychoir, and Training Choir. Presented with gratitude to the Valere Blair Potter Trust for its generous… Read More

Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23 6 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Saturday, April 25 5 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Blair Precollege Program Scholarship Recitals Blair’s finest precollege students present a varied program of solo works for strings, brass, woodwinds, piano,… Read More

TICKET UPDATE: Please note new ticket prices below. TICKETED EVENT Saturday, April 25 8 p.m. Ingram Hall Nashville Jazz Orchestra Jim Williamson, director Five-time Grammy-winning bassist Victor Wooten joins the NJO for its final Blair School concert of the season. Tickets: $25 adults; $20… Read More

Suzuki Cello Graduation and Festival Concert Anne WIliams and Kirsten Cassel Greer, directors Saturday, April 25 1 p.m., Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall… Read More

Suzuki Violin Graduation and Festival Concert Carol Smith, director Saturday, April 25 3 p.m., Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall  … Read More

SIGNATURE SERIES Blair Student Showcase Friday, January 23 8 p.m., Ingram Hall The Blair School’s very best and brightest — from solo artists to string quartets — show off what they can do. Come see the future of classical music! UPDATE: Here is the list of performers on… Read More

Saturday, January 24 7:15 p.m. Pre-concert talk by Joy Calico, Choral Hall 8 p.m. Concert, Ingram Hall Vanderbilt University Orchestra Robin Fountain, conductor and Vanderbilt Wind Symphony Thomas Verrier, conductor The Vanderbilt Orchestra performs Claude Debussy’s Fêtes, from Nocturnes; Arnold Schoenberg’s… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL The Atlantic Ensemble Sunday, January 25 3 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Enjoy an afternoon of chamber music with the Atlantic Ensemble! The program includes W.A. Mozart’s piano quartet in E-Flat Major as well as the Piano Quartet in C… Read More

MASTER CLASS Dave Liebman, saxophone Thursday, February 5 2 p.m., Ingram Hall Liebman, once a member of Miles Davis’ band and a formidable performer in his own right, conducts master classes with Blair’s saxophone students. Participation in the class is limited to Blair students… Read More

Vanderbilt Collegiate Choral Ensembles Friday, February 6 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Tucker Biddlecombe, director Choral Prism In its third year, the annual “Choral Prism” concert has become one of Blair’s most anticipated and highly attended student concert events. Choral Prism 2015 features… Read More

  BLAIR PRESENTS An Introduction to the Blair School’s New Pipe Organ Carl Smith, organist Sunday, February 8 3:00 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall This program marks the… Read More

Vanderbilt Community Chorus Saturday, December 13 8 p.m., Ingram Hall David Binns Williams, director The Vanderbilt Community Chorus celebrates its 15th season with a holiday concert featuring traditional and contemporary works by J.S. Bach, Randall Thompson, John Rutter, Franz Biebl and others. Read More

State of the Word Saturday, December 6 7 p.m., Ingram Hall TICKETED EVENT The Blair School of Music and the Nashville Public Library welcome the Seventh Annual State of the Word, featuring the region’s top college and high school writers, poets, emcees and spoken-word artists. On… Read More

Friday, January 16 8:30 p.m. Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Faculty Recital Philip Dikeman, flute and Melissa Rose, piano “Phlutings with Philip” Dikeman and Rose present a varied program include staples of the flute repertoire as well as some hidden… Read More

GUEST RECITAL & MASTER CLASS Yizhak Schotten, viola With Amy Dorfman, piano, Felix Wang, cello, and Polly Brecht, harpsichord Master Class Saturday, January 10 2 p.m., Choral Hall Performance & Master Class Sunday, January 11 3 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner… Read More

Vanderbilt University Concerto Competition Finals Sunday, January 18 7 p.m., Ingram Hall Our best and brightest go head to head. For the fifth year in a row, we open the final round of the Vanderbilt University Concerto Competition to the public. As did last year’s, the 2015 Concerto Competition… Read More

Eight members of the Blair Children’s Chorus program went to Salt Lake City in late February to sing in the National Honor Choirs of the American Choral Directors Association’s National Conference. Blair’s singers were selected from more than 3,000 students from all over the United… Read More

UPDATE: This concert was rescheduled from an earlier date. SIGNATURE SERIES Blair Woodwind Quintet Tuesday, April 21 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall The Blair Woodwind Quintet presents a program that combines classics of the literature with more recent works, all designed to… Read More

Saturday, April 25 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Our best precollege chamber groups wrap up the semester with an exciting ensemble performance. Read More

With severe winter weather predicted for the early part of the week, we will be compiling any weather-related delays or cancellations of lessons, classes and concerts here. Please check back for updates as they become available. Weather news for Saturday, February 21 The Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra concert will take place… Read More

Tuesday, December 2 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Marian Shaffer, director Nine harps on stage at the same time? A surfeit of sweet sounds from our superb student harpists. Read More

Wednesday, December 3 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Gyane Kwame Ahima, director Vanderbilt’s acclaimed African drum and dance ensemble provides adventure in rhythm, movement and music. Take a few hours and escape to another land!… Read More

Wednesday, December 3 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall A musical potpourri for a mixture of chamber ensembles, including string, woodwind and brass instruments. Blair collegiate students perform familiar masterworks as well as rare and new chamber music gems. Read More

Thursday, December 4 8 p.m., Ingram Hall TICKETED EVENT Ryan Middagh, director of Blair Big Band Jim Williamson, director of Nashville Jazz Orchestra A winter jazz showcase combining the talents of our own Blair Big Band with resident professional ensemble the Nashville… Read More

Saturday, December 6 5 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Blair’s precollege student musicians present chamber works for small ensembles — duos, trios and quartets in a variety of instrumentation. Read More

Monday, December 8 7:30 p.m., Ingram Hall Carol Nies, director With Kaili Wang, violin Presented with gratitude to an anonymous friend for generously supporting the Blair School. Read More

Tuesday, December 9 7:30 p.m., Ingram Hall Craig Madole director of Nashville Youth Repertory Orchestra Celeste Holbrook Tuten director of Youth Strings Orchestras and Reading Orchestra… Read More

Blair Precollege Scholarship Recitals Wednesday, December 10 – 6 p.m. Thursday, December 11 – 6 p.m. Saturday, December 13 – 5 p.m. Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Our best high school performers present three varied programs of solo pieces. Strings, piano, brass and woodwinds perform works that… Read More

Sunday, December 14 2 p.m., Ingram Hall Mary Biddlecombe, Artistic Director Our American Composers This performance will feature performances by the ensembles of the Blair Children’s  Chorus Program, including the Chorale, Girls’ Concert Choir, Young Men’s Chorus, Boychoir, Choristers, and Training Choir. The music of… Read More

What do Vanderbilt undergraduates learn outside the classroom? Watch as our undergrads create solutions, create change, and create magic as part of Immersion Vanderbilt. Immersion Vanderbilt is an initiative in the Academic Strategic Plan aimed at creating even more opportunities to help students engage, question and forge change. Blair senior… Read More

NIGHTCAP CONCERT SERIES Melissa Rose, piano, and Jim Lovensheimer, narrator With pre-concert talk by Joy Calico Tuesday, January 20 Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall 8 p.m. Pre-concert talk 8:30 p.m. Performance Enoch Arden by Richard Strauss Lovensheimer and Rose perform… Read More

Guest Artists The Merling Trio Wednesday, January 21 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Now celebrating its 26th season with original members Bruce Uchimura, cello, Renata Artman Knific, violin, and Susan Wiersma Uchimura, piano, the Merling Trio is in residence at Western Michigan… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL Felix Wang, cello With Polly Brecht, organ, Bil Jackson, clarinet, John Johns, guitar, and Christina McGann, violin Thursday, January 29 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Versatile powerhouse cellist Felix Wang gives a recital featuring pieces pairing the cello with… Read More

Guest Artist Residency Jose Sibaja, trumpet Monday, February 9 2:15-3:15 p.m. Brass chamber music coaching, location TBD Tuesday, February 10 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Work with the Blair Big Band, Instrumental Rehearsal Hall 1:10-2:25 p.m. Trumpet master class, Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall… Read More

NIGHTCAP CONCERT SERIES Ben Harris, piano, Preston Orr, baritone, Gayle Shay, mezzo-soprano, and Jeremy Wilson, trombone Tuesday, February 10 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Can you hear me? A Modern Musical Fable June has a problem. After 11 years of marriage, she… Read More

GUEST ARTIST RESIDENCY The Cavell Trio Tuesday, February 10-Wednesday, February 11 Tuesday, February 10 Oboe master class: 2:35 p.m.-3:10 p.m., Choral Hall Bassoon master class: 4:30 p.m.-6 .p.m, Instrumental Rehearsal Hall Wednesday, February 11 Clarinet master class: Noon-2 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL Peter Kolkay, bassoon With Philip Dikeman, flute, Felix Wang, cello, and Polly Brecht, harpsichord Wednesday, February 11 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Virtue/Virtuosity Bassoonist Peter Kolkay explores the complementary yet problematic relationship between virtue and virtuosity in works by… Read More

GUEST ARTIST Michael Samis, cello with Amy Dorfman, piano Thursday, February 12 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Cellist Michael Samis, recognized for his “shining and expressive” playing (The Tennessean) and “haunting” tone (Cincinnati Post), and Blair pianist Amy Dorfman collaborate in… Read More

Vanderbilt University Orchestra Robin Fountain, conductor and Vanderbilt Wind Symphony Thomas Verrier, conductor Friday, February 13 8 p.m., Ingram Hall The Vanderbilt Orchestra performs the entr’actes from Franz Schubert’s Rosamunde and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4. The Wind Symphony performs works including… Read More

MASTER CLASS Mauricio Fuks, violin Saturday, February 14 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m., Choral Hall Sunday, February 15 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Choral Hall… Read More

Nashville Jazz Orchestra Jim Williamson, director with Blair Big Band Ryan Middagh, director Saturday, February 14 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Tickets: $20 adults; $15 seniors (65+) and Vanderbilt faculty and staff; free for students with ID. Tickets available at the door. Read More

Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra Keehun Nam, conductor Saturday, February 21 3 p.m., Ingram Hall L’Inspiration d’Amour Students throughout Vanderbilt come together to present an afternoon filled with drama, romance and the inspiration of love. In its second year, the Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra brings together undergraduates from… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL Amy Jarman, soprano and Jerome Reed, piano with Cornelia Heard, violin Sunday, February 22 3 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall O Ravishing Delight! A recital of art song exploring love, tenderness, regret and joy, including Five Hebrew Love Songs by… Read More

GUEST ARTIST John Whitener, tuba Monday, February 23 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall John Whitener has been principal tuba of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra since 2009. He has recorded with the RSNO extensively and toured throughout Europe and China. He has… Read More

GUEST ARTIST Charles Castleman, violin Tuesday, February 24 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Charles Castleman has been soloist with the orchestras of Philadelphia, Boston, Brisbane, Chicago, Hong Kong, Moscow, Mexico City, New York, San Francisco, Seoul and Shanghai. Medalist at Tchaikovsky and… Read More

MASTER CLASS & GUEST RECITAL Lauren Jacobson, clarinet Wednesday, February 25 Noon-2 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall As a former member of The President’s Own Marine Band and Orchestra, clarinetist Jacobson has performed frequently at the White House and Kennedy Center in Washington… Read More

Living Sounds Wednesday, February 25 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall New works by Blair’s composition majors, performed by their peers. Always an engaging and highly eclectic evening of music. Come hear the next generation of classical composition!… Read More

BLAIR PRESENTS Carolyn Huebl, violin, and Mark Wait, piano Thursday, February 26 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall World Premiere: Michael Hersch’s Zwischen Leben und Tod Violinist Carolyn Huebl and pianist Mark Wait present the world premiere of a new work… Read More

SCHEDULE UPDATE: This concert was originally scheduled for Feb. 16, but was postponed due to severe winter weather. FACULTY RECITAL Daniel Reinker, viola with Francis Perry, theorbo, Jim Lovensheimer, reader, Jared Hauser, oboe, Keith Nicholas, cello, Melissa Rose, piano, and William G. Wiggins, percussion Sunday,… Read More

Monday, December 1 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Mat Britain, director Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Vanderbilt Steel Bands program with a musical trip to the beach! Let the Vanderbilt Steel Bands take you on an island cruise — calypso, reggae, soca, and maybe even a… Read More

Curb Youth Symphony Carol Nies, director Monday, March 9 8 p.m., Ingram Hall The Curb Youth Symphony performs works by Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Rossini, with featured soloists Chloe Harvel, Jenna Mangum and Kaili Wang on violin and David Bender on cello. Read More

FACULTY RECITAL The Mirabelle Trio Jared Hauser, oboe, Leslie Norton, horn, and Melissa Rose, piano Tuesday, March 10 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall The Mirabelle Trio continues its exploration of trios written for oboe, horn and piano. Heinrich Herzogenberg’s romantic trio… Read More

MUSIC ON FILM Credit: Courtesy of Argot Pictures Béla Fleck: How to Write a Banjo Concerto Thursday, March 12 8 p.m., Ingram Hall In conjunction with banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck’s upcoming performances with Vanderbilt Wind Symphony of The Impostor, the concerto he originally composed to perform… Read More

MASTER CLASSES Warren Jones, collaborative pianist Friday, March 13-Sunday, March 15 Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Marvelous collaborative pianist Warren Jones has performed numerous times at Blair accompanying guest vocalists. Now he returns to coach teams of student pianists and singers in collaborative master… Read More

VORTEX percussion Michael Holland, artistic director VORTEX and the American Gamelan With New Dialect Sunday, March 15 Noon: Documentary film: LOU HARRISON: A World of Music, Portrait of a great composer who followed his own dreams. Trading a fast-paced New York career for… Read More

GUEST ARTIST RESIDENCY Timothy Higgins, trombone Master class: 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 15, Choral Hall Recital: 8 p.m. Monday, March 16, Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Timothy Higgins, Principal Trombonist with the San Francisco Symphony since 2008, will be in residence at Blair March… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL Brian Utley, saxophone with Melissa Rose, piano Tuesday, March 17 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Utley’s program is an exploration of the international. Klonos, by Piet Swerts, is described by the composer as a “bravura-like fantasy.” The word itself… Read More

An Evening of Chamber Music With Matthew Hunter, viola, the Blair String Quartet, and student musicians Wednesday, March 18 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Violist Matthew Hunter of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra joins Blair students and the Blair String Quartet for a… Read More

MASTER CLASS Linda Strommen, oboe Tuesday, March 17 2:30 p.m., Choral Hall Linda Strommen is Professor of Oboe at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, a regular guest faculty teacher at The Juilliard School, and a faculty member of the Interlochen Arts Camp and the… Read More

Vanderbilt String Orchestra Robin Fountain, conductor Thursday, March 19 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Violist Matthew Hunter of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra joins the String Orchestra this week as guest coach and leader. The program will include a number of works by seminal 16th-century English composer… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL Stephen Miahky, violin with Amy Dorfman, piano, and Polly Brecht, harpsichord Friday, March 20 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall J.S. Bach, Sonata in E major, BWV 1016 Charles Ives, Second Sonata Luciano Berio, Sequenza VIII for… Read More

2015 College Band Directors National Association Conference March 24-28 The Blair School is honored to host the biennial meeting of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA). All concert events are free and open to the public, although priority seating will be reserved for conference attendees.  … Read More

GUEST ARTISTS The Waldland Ensemble Hillary Herndon, viola, Jeremy Reynolds, clarinet, and Bernadette Lo, piano Thursday, March 26 8 p.m., Choral Hall An exciting chamber music recital featuring five new works commissioned from important modern composers. Herndon, of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Reynolds, from… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL Blair’s Jazz Department Friday, March 27 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall The Vanderbilt Jazz Faculty — Bruce Dudley, Liz Johnson, Jerry Kimbrough, Ryan Middagh, Derrek Philips and Roger Spencer — will present a diverse recital of music ranging from the Great American Songbook… Read More

Vanderbilt University Concert Choir David Binns Williams, director Sunday, March 29 2 p.m., Ingram Hall The oldest performing group on campus performs choral works of all genres. Read More

SIGNATURE SERIES Craig Nies, piano, and Carolyn Huebl, violin Sunday, March 29 8 p.m., Ingram Hall The Mozart Sonatas for Piano and Violin Pianist Nies and violinist Huebl, over the course of four evenings throughout the 2014-15 concert season, perform W.A. Mozart’s entire set of… Read More

Brilliant Spanish pianist Joaquín Achúcarro comes to Nashville this week to perform Brahms’ monumental Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Nashville Symphony (Nov. 20-22). While in town, he’ll conduct a master class with Blair’s piano students. Participation in the class is limited to Blair piano majors… Read More

FEB. 17 WEATHER UPDATE: Due to severe winter weather, the February 17 concert from ALIAS Chamber Ensemble has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. TICKETED EVENT Photo by John Partipilo ALIAS Chamber Ensemble Tuesday, February 17 8 p.m., Steve & Judy… Read More

Monday, May 4 7:30 p.m., Ingram Hall Curb Youth Symphony Carol Nies, director Presented with gratitude to the Valere Blair Potter Trust for its generous support of the Blair School… Read More

Tuesday, May 5 7:30 p.m., Ingram Hall Nashville Youth Repertory Orchestra Craig Madole, director Youth Strings Orchestras, Reading Orchestra, and Beginning Reading Orchestra Celeste Tuten, director Presented with gratitude to the Valere Blair Potter Trust for its generous support of the Blair School… Read More

NOTE: This concert was originally scheduled for February 17, but was postponed due to severe winter weather. Tickets purchased for the original date will be honored. TICKETED EVENT Wednesday, May 6 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall ALIAS Chamber Ensemble Daniel Elder, The Ties… Read More

Saturday, May 9 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Vanderbilt Community Chorus David Binns Williams, director The Vanderbilt Community Chorus celebrates its 15th anniversary with a special retrospective program showcasing the choir’s favorite musical moments since its founding in 2000. The choir returns… Read More

Blair Harp Ensemble Marian Shaffer, director Thursday, April 2 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Blair’s harp students take center stage for an enchanting musical evening showcasing the “sweetest of strings.”… Read More

SIGNATURE SERIES Blair Brass Quintet Monday, April 6 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall The quintet performs a diverse brass program including George Frideric Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Jörg Widmann’s Three Canzoni, Charles Whittenberg’s Little Fantasy on a Bach… Read More

Vanderbilt Steel Bands Mat Britain, director Tuesday, April 7 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Kick your summer off with the sunny island sounds of the Vanderbilt Steel Bands. Music from Trinidad and other warm-water locales is sure to put you in a Caribbean state of mind. Read More

Living Sounds Wednesday, April 8 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall New works by Blair’s composition majors, performed by their peers. Always an engaging and highly eclectic evening of music. Come hear the next generation of classical composition! The April 8 program includes: That is the Question,… Read More

Master Class Michael Chertock, piano Thursday, April 9 2:45-5 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Pianist Michael Chertock of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, an highly acclaimed and prolific orchestral soloist and Telarc recording artist, conducts master classes with Blair’s piano students. Participation in the… Read More

TICKETED EVENT Blair Big Band Ryan Middagh, director with Jeff Coffin and introducing The Nashville Jazz Composers Collective Thursday, April 9 8 p.m., Ingram Hall The Blair Big Band closes its concert season with Grammy-winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin. Coffin is an internationally… Read More

Vanderbilt University Orchestra Robin Fountain, conductor Friday, April 10 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Violinist Elizabeth Drabkin, pianist Marissa Uchimura and percussionist Liam Underwood, the winners of the 2015 Vanderbilt Concerto Competition, perform as featured soloists with the Vanderbilt University Orchestra. Read More

Sankofa Vanderbilt’s African Drumming and Dance Ensemble Gyane Kwame Ahima, director Saturday, April 11 8, Ingram Hall Vanderbilt’s acclaimed African drum and dance ensemble is always a rollicking good time. Get some rhythm in your weekend!… Read More

Blair Suzuki Violin Performing Group Carol Smith, director and Blair Children’s Cello Choir Kirsten Cassel Greer, director Sunday, April 12 2:30 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall… Read More

FACULTY RECITAL Christina McGann, violin, and Jingwen Tu, piano Monday, April 13 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Violinist Christina McGann makes her Blair School concert debut with guest pianist Jingwen Tu for a delightful duet program including Arnold Schöenberg’s Fantasy for Violin… Read More

Vanderbilt Symphonic Choir and Vanderbilt Oratorio Orchestra Tucker Biddlecombe, conductor Tuesday, April 14 8:00 p.m., Ingram Hall Creation, by Franz Joseph Haydn With Amy Jarman, soprano, Thomas Mulder (Blair ’12), tenor, and Jonathan Retzlaff, lyric baritone In the final student ensemble performance of… Read More

David GortonGuest and Faculty Composers Recital David Gorton, Michael Zev Gordon, Stan Link and Michael Slayton   Wednesday, April 15 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Blair composition professors Stan Link and Michael Slayton team up with colleagues from the… Read More

Blair Student Chamber Ensembles Thursday, April 16 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall A musical potpourri for a mixture of chamber ensembles, including string, woodwind, and brass instruments. Blair collegiate students perform familiar masterworks as well as rare and new chamber music gems. Read More

SIGNATURE SERIES Craig Nies, piano, and Carolyn Huebl, violin Friday, April 17 8 p.m., Ingram Hall The Mozart Sonatas for Piano and Violin Pianist Nies and violinist Huebl, over the course of four evenings throughout the 2014-15 concert season, have performed W.A. Mozart’s entire… Read More

CONCERT UPDATE: This concert was originally scheduled for February 20, but was postponed due to weather. SIGNATURE SERIES Photo credit: Jim McGuire Blair String Quartet Stephen Miahky and Cornelia Heard, violins, John Kochanowski, viola, Felix Wang, cello Monday, April 20 8 p.m., Steve & Judy… Read More

The Blair School's viola studio Juilliard viola professor Heidi Castleman, one of the leading viola pedagogues in the U.S., will conduct a master class with Blair viola students via videoconference from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. February 26, in Blair’s Choral Hall. Blair’s viola studio won the class through… Read More

This month, the Blair Brass Quintet joins forces with the faculty brass quintets from Belmont University and Middle Tennessee State University. The resulting triple quintet ensemble, the Tri Star Brass, will perform at 7:30 p.m. November 17 at Nashville’s Christ Church Cathedral, 900 Broadway. Under… Read More

7:30 p.m. Friday, November 14 2 p.m. Sunday, November 16 Ingram Hall Vanderbilt Opera Theatre and Vanderbilt University Orchestra present Die Fledermaus, Johann Strauss’ delightful sacher torte dropped in the decadent chocolate box of 1920s Berlin. Nightclubs, dancing girls, mistaken identities, and jilted lovers,… Read More

Wednesday, November 12 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Toru Takemitsu, and then I knew twas wind for harp, viola and flute Johann Schmeltzer, Sonata for violin and continuo Ernest Bloch, Nocturnes for piano trio Kevin Volans, Hunting, Gathering for… Read More

Photo by Jimmy Katz The Blair School is pleased to partner with contemporary art space OZ Nashville to host a master class with acclaimed jazz pianist Vijay Iyer. Iyer performs at OZ Nov. 8-9, and while he’s in town he comes to Blair to conduct… Read More

Friday, November 7 Noon, Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Blair alumnus Evan Mack, B.Mus. ’03, an acclaimed composer, returns to Vanderbilt to accept the inaugural Young Alumni Award. At this special afternoon recital, current Blair students, alumni and faculty will perform a selection of his… Read More

VORTEX percussion Michael Holland, artistic director Sunday, November 9 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Bells, Whistles and a Musical Yard Sale Experience some of the most playful and engaging music for percussion written in the last 25 years. VORTEX opens… Read More

Congratulations to 2014-15 Curb Youth Symphony Concerto Competition winners David Bender, cello, and John Hartley, violin, and honorable mention winners Jenna Mangum, violin, and Clara Warford, harp. Read More

Oboist ToniMarie Marchioni, assistant professor of oboe at the University of Kentucky, conducts a master class with Blair’s oboe students from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in Choral Hall. Marchioni has performed in Europe, South America, Asia, and throughout the United States. Appointed to the University of… Read More

Guest Artist: Reid Alexander, piano Thursday, October 30 4 p.m., Alumni Hall – Reading Room (Vanderbilt’s main campus) The Multimedia Side of Claude Debussy: Visual and Extra-Musical Inspirations Blair hosts its first-ever lecture and concert in the recently renovated Alumni Hall on Vanderbilt’s main… Read More

Saturday, November 1 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Cornelia Heard, Blair School of Music faculty member since 1982, was one of the first students to enroll at the Blair Academy of Music in the fall of 1964. To celebrate her milestone affiliation with… Read More

Sunday, November 2 7 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Six outstanding Blair piano students perform J.S. Bach’s six partitas, BWV 825-830. Originally composed for harpsichord and commonly referred to as the “German Suites,” they were the last set of harpsichord suites that Bach composed,… Read More

Rock legend Sheryl Crow will speak at the Blair School of Music this fall as part of the popular Conversations Series. On Tuesday, November 4, Assistant Professor Jen Gunderman will conduct an informal on-stage conversation with the singer, followed by… Read More

Professor Michael Marissen of Swarthmore College will give a public lecture based on his latest controversial book, Tainted Glory in Handel’s Messiah, an in-depth account of the anti-Judaic aspects of the world’s most popular oratorio. The event takes place 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20,… Read More

Vanderbilt University Orchestra and Vanderbilt Wind Symphony Photo courtesy of Noah Sheldon Friday, October 24 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Robin Fountain, director of Vanderbilt String Orchestra Thomas Verrier, director of Vanderbilt… Read More

Vanderbilt Chorale and Symphonic Choir Saturday, October 25 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Tucker Biddlecombe, director The Warp and Woof This joint choral concert will open with polychoral motets by Johann Sebastian Bach, and Heinrich Schütz, featuring Blair’s new Guitarri continuo organ. We’ll journey to… Read More

Signature Series: Craig Nies, piano, and Carolyn Huebl, violin Friday, September 5 Sunday, October 26 Sunday, March 29 Friday, April 17 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Free and Open to the Public The Mozart Sonatas for Piano and Violin Pianist Nies and violinist… Read More

Saturday, November 15 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Messich has been a faculty member at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music since 2010, where he has been an active member of the Georgia Woodwind Quintet and Georgia Woodwind Trio. In… Read More

Thursday, November 13 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Christopher and Bogaczova, faculty members at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, perform a program of works by Arnold Bax, Gabriel Fauré, Jacques Offenbach and Iannis Xenakis. Read More

Charles Ives 140th Birthday Concert Monday, October 20 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Blair students and faculty celebrate what would have been the 140th birthday of composer Charles Ives with an evening of piano and song. Pianists Melissa Rose, Jennifer McGuire, Ben Harris, Jack Coen, David Rodgers and Craig Nies… Read More

Wednesday, November 5 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall New works by Blair’s composition majors, performed by their peers. Always an engaging and highly eclectic evening of music. Come hear the next generation of classical composition!… Read More

Blair alumna Shannon Thomas, currently visiting assistant professor of violin at Florida State University, returns to campus to present an exciting recital with Frank Huang, assistant professor of piano at Miami University. The program includes Mozart’s Sonata in G major, K. 301; Debussy’s final work, his Sonata… Read More

Vanderbilt Wind Symphony Thomas Verrier, conductor Wednesday, November 19 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Roads to Home The Wind Symphony finishes its fall season with a varied program that includes special guests and a world premiere. Charles Ives’ Old Home Days is guest-conducted by… Read More

Guest Artist: David Shifrin, clarinet, with Yevgeny Yontov, piano Photo by Tomoji Hirakata Wednesday, October 29 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall A dazzling evening of clarinet from a master of the instrument. The performance will include a duet with Blair clarinet professor Bil… Read More

Signature Series: Blair Woodwind Quintet Monday, October 13 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Philip Dikeman, flute, Bil Jackson, clarinet, Jared Hauser, oboe, Leslie Norton, horn, Peter Kolkay, bassoon The Blair Woodwind Quintet presents a program full of melody and lyricism, including a romantic gem by… Read More

Blakemore Trio Friday, October 10 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Amy Dorfman, piano, Carolyn Huebl, violin, Felix Wang, cello Goethe described chamber music as “(three) rational people conversing.” The Blakemore Trio pays homage to Franz Joseph Haydn, heralded as the creator of modern chamber music,… Read More

Photo by Jim McGuire Signature Series: Blair String Quartet Saturday, October 4 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Stephen Miahky and Cornelia Heard, violins, John Kochanowski, viola, Felix Wang, cello The Blair School of Music is pleased to present the Blair String quartet’s inaugural performance with… Read More

Vanderbilt University Orchestra Thursday, October 2 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Robin Fountain, director An orchestral evening with a Russian accent. The Vanderbilt Orchestra takes on three major Russian works: the overture from Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov’s 19th-century opera May Night; Rimski-Korsakov’s Cappricio Espagnole, which was based… Read More

Guest Artist: Timothy Ehlen, piano Friday, September 26 8 p.m., Choral Hall Ehlen, professor of piano at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, is a highly sought-after soloist and chamber musician. He won the World Piano Competition in 1987 and made his debut at Lincoln Center… Read More

Photo by B. Ealovega Grammy-winner Susan Graham — dubbed “America’s favorite mezzo” by Gramophone magazine —and pianist Bradley Moore will perform at Blair’s Ingram Hall at 8 p.m. Saturday, September 27. Graham achieved international stardom within a few years of her professional debut. Her operatic roles span… Read More

Friday, September 26 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Thomas Verrier, director Bach and Other Flavors The Vanderbilt Wind Symphony performs a varied program titled “Bach and Other Flavors” that includes Gustav Holst’s arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Fugue a la Gigue, Michael Daughtery’s Bells for Stowkowski, Percy… Read More

The Clare College Choir, of Cambridge, England, will perform at the Blair School at 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 24, in Ingram Hall. Director Graham Ross will lead the choir in a program titled “Great British Pairings.” Since the founding of… Read More

Vanderbilt University Concert Choir Sunday, October 26 2 p.m., Ingram Hall David Binns Williams, director The oldest performing group on campus performs choral works from a wide range of genres and eras. Read More

Faculty Recital: Carl Smith, harpsichord and continuo organ With Elizabeth Bartlett, soprano, Matthew Lammers, violin, and Ann Yeh, cello Sunday, October 12 4 p.m., Choral Hall Musica Settecentesca Seventeenth-century vocal and instrumental music from Italy and Germany, including Claudio Monteverdi, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Heinrich Schütz and Matthias… Read More

Nashville Jazz Orchestra Saturday, October 11 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Jim Williamson, director Nashville Jazz Orchestra’s traditional October salute to Latin History Month will be a hot and spicy program of music and dance in tribute to our Latin heritage. Sabor y sabroso! *TICKETED EVENT* Tickets: $20 adults; $15… Read More

Vanderbilt Symphony Orchestra and Vanderbilt Chorale and Symphonic Choir Friday, September 12 6 p.m., Ingram Hall Free and Open to the Public Robin Fountain conductor of Vanderbilt Symphony Orchestra Tucker Biddlecombe conductor of Vanderbilt Chorale and Symphonic Choir German Masters Psalms of David: I… Read More

Signature Series: John Johns, guitar with Carolyn Huebl, violin, Kathryn Plummer, viola, and Felix Wang, cello Thursday, September 11 8 p.m., Ingram Hall Guitarist Johns presents a colorful program of music by composers from Italy, Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Austria. Huebl, Plummer and Wang join… Read More

Photo by Kevin Schlatt Sunday, September 14 3 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Nashville Jazz Workshop presents this year’s final installment of Jazz on the Move, its popular jazz performance and education series, with lectures and performances that highlight major figures and periods in… Read More

Signature Series: Blair Voices Saturday, September 6 7:30 p.m., Ingram Hall Gayle Shay, mezzo soprano, Ben Harris, piano, Jennifer McGuire, piano, Amy Jarman, soprano, Jonathan Retzlaff, lyric baritone Requesting the Pleasure of Your Company….Music from the Manor An evening of popular music from the first half… Read More

Photo by Alyson Levy Saturday, September 13 6 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall Molly Barth, flute, and Dieter Hennings, guitar Grammy-winning flutist Barth, a professor at the University of Oregon, is a devoted champion of modern music, and specifically contemporary chamber music. She and… Read More

To help him celebrate more than 50 years of teaching at the Blair School of Music, current and former piano students of Roland Schneller will perform in concert in his honor. All of these artists were once precollege students at Blair Academy/Blair School of Music. The concert… Read More

Joy H. Calico, Associate Professor of Musicology at the Blair School and Director of the Max Kade Center for European and German Studies at Vanderbilt University, was interviewed last spring by BBC Radio 3 about her most recent book, Arnold Schoenberg’s ‘A Survivor from Warsaw in Postwar… Read More

Mandolinist/composer Chris Thile and bassist/composer Edgar Meyer will perform at the Blair School of Music’s Ingram Hall at 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 30. Thile, of Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, and Meyer have teamed up again for a new album, Bass & Mandolin, to be… Read More

Nashville Sinfonietta Dean Whiteside, director Saturday, August 30 7 p.m., Ingram Hall The Nashville Sinfonietta brings together Blair School musicians and their Nashville Symphony colleagues, under the baton of Blair alumnus and acclaimed conductor Dean Whiteside. This program consists of famous concertos through the… Read More

American Viola Society president Nokuthula Ngwenyama presents Blair student Olivia Palazzolo with the Tone Award at the Primrose International Viola Competition.   Blair School precollege student Olivia Palazzolo won the Tone Award at the Primrose International Viola Comptition, held in June at the Colburn School in… Read More

Sunday, September 28 8 p.m., Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall For this concert, trombonist Jeremy Wilson had to dig deep. As he explains it, much of the recital repertoire for trombone is actually transcriptions of orchestra parts or material originally written for other instruments. The… Read More

Greg Barz, associate professor of musicology (ethnomusicology), was named Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor at Vanderbilt for 2013–14. He also published three articles in 2013 in the South Africa Journal of Humanities, the Cambridge Guide to World Music, and a special issue of Acta Academica. He serves on… Read More

  Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet member Andreas Wittman works with oboe students during a master class in the instrumental rehearsal hall. master class (‘ma:str klas) A class taught by an accomplished musician who individually instructs advanced students in performance and technique, often before… Read More

In June, the Blair School welcomed Roger Vignoles, a world-class collaborative pianist and vocal coach, to mentor four young professional vocal coaches as they worked with four Blair students. The goal of this workshop was to help coaches in the middle stage of their careers, when they… Read More

  A combination of precollege, collegiate, and alumni singers and musicians performed John Rutter’s “Mass of the Children” on March 16 at the Blair School of Music 50th Anniversary Gala Concert. For more information on future 50th anniversary concerts, visit “Blair Events” on… Read More

Madeline Myers, BMus'11 (Photo by Elena Olivo) Madeline Myers, BMus’11, won the first annual Davenport Songwriting Contest sponsored by Tony Award-winning producer Ken Davenport (The Bridges of Madison County, Kinky Boots, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell) with her song “I Could Be a Hero.” The… Read More

Photo courtesy of Tucker Biddlecombe The Vanderbilt Chorale, under the direction of Tucker Biddlecombe, associate professor of choral activities and choral director, embarked on a tour of Florida in March. This newly formed ensemble serves as the core of the Vanderbilt Symphonic Choir and is made up… Read More

Thomas Verrier, associate professor and director of wind studies The Blair School will host the biennial conference of the College Band Directors National Association in March 2015. Seven of the finest wind orchestras from throughout the United States are expected to perform. In addition, leading scholars, conductors,… Read More

Chris Teal, Joseph Joachim Professor of Violin and member of the Blair String Quartet (photo by John Russell) As the Blair School of Music celebrates its 50th anniversary, one who has been a steady presence since Blair’s days on 18th Avenue South will be saying goodbye. Christian… Read More

Vanderbilt Orchestra Director Robin Fountain with BMI Composer-in-Residence Kevin Puts and Associate Professor of Clarinet Bil Jackson rehearsing for a January concert that featured Puts' Clarinet Concerto written for Jackson (Photo by Anne Rayner) The relationship between the Blair School of Music and music licensing organization BMI… Read More

Olivia Palazzolo, age 17, and Blair alumna Dana Kelley, B.Mus. ’12, depart for the Primrose International Viola Competition on Saturday June 7. They are two of just 30 violists ages 15-29 selected to compete in the live rounds of the competition. Their fellow quarter-finalists are from Australia, Canada, China, France,… Read More

The Blair School is gearing up for its inaugural Mentoring Program for Young Professional Vocal Coaches, which will run June 9-12. Outstanding collaborative pianist Roger Vignoles will mentor four teams of young professional coaches and Blair voice majors. Events open to the public include a master… Read More

Jonathan Chu, who graduated from Blair in 2003 with a double-major in violin performance and economics, was one of three new violist appointments announced May 22 by the St. Louis Symphony. Chu is married to the symphony’s principal violist, Beth Guterman Chu, making them the seventh married couple in the… Read More

Roo George-Warren (Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt University) The Office of Honor Scholarships is pleased to announce that DeLesslin “Roo” George-Warren, a Class of 2014 voice and music composition major at Blair School of Music, is one of 40 students in the nation to… Read More

2014 Lotte Lenya Competition judges and winners (L to R): Rob Berman, Judy Kaye, James Robinson, Arlo Hill, Natalie Ballenger, Ben Edquist. Photo courtesy of the Kurt Weill Foundation. Ben Edquist, B.Mus. ’13, won the $15,000 first prize in the finals of the 2014 Lotte Lenya Competition,… Read More

Stephen Miahky The Blair School of Music has appointed Stephen Miahky as associate professor of violin and the new first violin of the Blair String Quartet, Blair School Dean Mark Wait announced today. “Steve Miahky is a consummate artist,” said Wait. “When he came to Vanderbilt to… Read More

From Curb Youth Symphony Director Carol Nies: Dear CYS members, The CYS will rehearse this evening. However, if it is dangerous in the area that you are coming from, please do not come until the danger has passed. Please check the weather radar map (moving interactive radar that shows green… Read More

The Blair School is pleased to once again host Parnassus Books as they bring bestselling author Michael Pollan to Nashville for a discussion and signing of his latest book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. This author event will take place at the Blair School’s Ingram… Read More

The final concert in Blair’s Living Sounds series has a twist this year. Living Sounds is an annual three-concert series showcasing the work of Blair’s student composers, performed by their fellow students. It’s always an engaging and wide-ranging exploration of contemporary composition. Acclaimed contemporary composer Richard Danielpour… Read More

The Blair School partners with the Nashville Symphony for the second year to host a free screening of a music-related movie in conjunction with a Symphony performance. This year, the Blair School is pleased to bring you Amadeus, Miloš Forman’s 1984 masterpiece about… Read More

On February 18, the Blair School lost our beloved Big Band director and jazz instructor Billy Adair. Adair’s impact and influence on our students, faculty and community can not be overstated. He was mentor and musician, faculty and friend. In celebration of Adair’s life, a special tribute… Read More

The Aetas Trio, which consists of Blair School undergraduate students Matthew Lammers, violin, Ann Yeh, cello, and Marissa Uchimura, piano, won third place in the Music Teachers National Association nattional competition, held March 22 in Chicago. Read More

The Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University seeks a full-time senior lecturer in jazz, to begin in Fall 2014. Duties include coordinating the jazz studies area, directing the Big Band, teaching courses in improvisation, jazz chord theory, jazz styles for teacher-education students, and possibly other teaching responsibilities as appropriate. Read More

The Appalachian Celebration, the Blair School’s annual appreciation of folk music and mountain sounds, this year is headlined by father-daughter old-time duo Rafe and Clelia Stefanini. Rafe Stefanini is an Italian old-time banjo player, fiddler, guitarist, singer and teacher, as well as a respected violin maker and restorer. Daughter Clelia… Read More

  In 2014, the Blair School of Music celebrates 50 years of educating musicians in Nashville. Initially the Blair Academy of Music, which was devoted to teaching music to precollege and adult students, the Blair School has thrived, growing and… Read More

The finals of the Nashville Symphony’s annual Curb Concerto Competition were held Sunday, March 2, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and all three top finalists are Myra Jackson Blair Scholars in the Blair School’s precollege program. Violist Olivia Palazzolo won the grand prize, and will perform as… Read More

Some Blair School classes and lessons will be cancelled on Monday, March 3, due to icy weather conditions. This post will be updated frequently. If you have specific questions, contact your instructor directly. Blair Children’s Chorus program: All rehearsals today were already cancelled due to spring break. Curb Youth Symphony:… Read More

The second of three Living Sounds concerts for the 2013-14 season takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday, February 27, in Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall. Living Sounds is a showcase for the Blair School’s student composers, with their works performed by Blair student musicians. Here’s the program, with comments… Read More

A 10-member delegation from the Lingnan Student Opera League at Sun Yat-Sen University will visit Vanderbilt as a part of the “Opera Exchange” sponsored by Vanderbilt’s U.S.-China Center for Education and Culture. Since 2007, and especially since the establishment of the U.S.-China Center, Vanderbilt and SYSU… Read More

  February 18, 2014 Media contacts: Kristin Whittlesey (615) 322-7656 kristin.whittlesey@vanderbilt.edu Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu William “Billy” Adair, a teacher, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and backbone of the jazz program at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, has died. He was 66. Adair,… Read More

Blair School precollege student Nolan Harvel, a guitar student and member of the Nashville Boychoir, will be one of the featured soloists with the Nashville Symphony May 29-31. The program is part of the Nashville Symphony Chorus’ 50th anniversary celebrations, and features the chorus on Leonard… Read More

Curb Youth Symphony families, please note: Even though Metro Nashville Pubic Schools were closed today (Feb. 3), CYS will rehearse tonight. Student musicians should plan to arrive at the regular time. Read More

We are excited to announce our first Blair Alumni Match Challenge. For every dollar you contribute to the Blair general fund through June 30, 2014, a fellow Blair School alumnus will match your gift dollar for dollar — up to a total maximum of $10,000. The opportunity to have… Read More

The deadline to submit Blair School of Music applications through DecisionDesk has been extended. The new deadline for submission is Monday, February 3, at 5 p.m. EST. DecisionDesk applications are required for all Blair applicants. Special note for woodwind applicants: Woodwind applicants do not need to upload a pre-screening… Read More

Author Talk, Book Signing & Sale Author talk at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Ingram Hall Book signing to follow. Books will be available for purchase at the event via Parnassus Books. Ticket Information This is a ticketed event. A limited number of… Read More

The Aetas Trio, which consists of Blair School undergraduate students Matthew Lammers, violin, Ann Yeh, cello, and Marissa Uchimura, piano, won the regional Music Teachers National Association division competition, which was held at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., on January 18. The trio will go on to compete… Read More

Our undergraduate students are taking the music to main campus! On February 14, The ArtSee debuts at Rand Lounge in the Sarratt Student Center, in the center of Vanderbilt’s main campus. From 6-7 p.m., stop by for chamber music performed by Blair students! Get your Valentine’s Day… Read More

Roger Vignoles (photo by Ben Ealovega) Come be a part of the Blair School of Music’s inaugural mentoring program for young coaches! This is an intensive four-day program that allows coaches at or near the beginning of their professional careers (less than 10 years of experience) to… Read More

The Blair Student Showcase, one of our most popular annual events, takes place at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. Here’s the lineup: Scherzo No. 3 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 39, by Frederic Chopin Thomas Ridgway, piano Recitativo and Scherzo, Op. 6, by Fritz Kreisler Adrian Evarkiou-Kaku, violin Concertino,… Read More

The results of the concerto competitions have been posted. Forty-eight students competed — the most ever — and the finals were held Jan. 19. The judges were very impressed by the performances, and the finals were a nice showcase for the school and students. The competition was judged by Jennifer… Read More

Applications are available now for scholarships for the Blair School’s precollege program for the 2014-15 academic year. Applications may be picked up in the Blair office or downloaded from the website. Applications are due March 14, 2014. Read More

Cal Turner Jr. at the piano. (Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt University) Cal Turner Jr. loves organ music. And sure, lots of people enjoy listening to the organ. But how many of them have pipe organs in their own houses? “I have to be the only husband in America who,… Read More

Photo courtesy of Evan Mack Evan Mack, B.Mus. ’03, is the recipient of one of the newest awards presented by the Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors — the Young Alumni Professional Achievement Award. The Young Alumni Professional Achievement Award honors an alumnus/a age 40 or younger,… Read More

Midstate Auditions NYOP students participating in midstate auditions on Saturday, Dec. 7, should check the MTSBOA website for weather-related information and announcements. CYS Section Rehearsals Please check 322-5815 or the Blair website at noon on Sunday, Dec. 8, to see if there will be weather-related cancellations. Read More

For Blair Children’s Chorus families, from Dr. Biddlecombe: Due to the approach of unpredictable inclement weather, we have elected to cancel today’s dress rehearsal from 4:30-7 p.m. Please arrive for Sunday’s concert as scheduled (call time 1:02 p.m.) in the Instrumental Rehearsal Hall at Blair. Prep choir students should arrive… Read More

This weekend, the Vanderbilt Community Chorus celebrates the 100th birthday of composer Benjamin Britten and the 200th birthday of composer Giuseppe Verdi with a program of their best-loved works. The VCC, under direction of David Binns Williams, will perform Britten’s Festival Te Deum and Verdi’s Four Sacred… Read More

If you or your child is involved in our precollege and adult education program, we want to hear from you! We are very interested in hearing about your experiences as a student at the Blair School. Your feedback and suggestions are very important to us, as we strive to maintain… Read More

The 10th annual Blair Witch party was a huge success, raising almost $1,500 from ticket sales, a faculty and student auction, and faculty donations. All proceeds from the Halloween-themed event are donated to the W.O. Smith Community Music School, which provides music instruction to low-income Nashville children. Read More

Vanderbilt Opera Theatre puts an offbeat spin on Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s beloved, fairy-tale-inspired musical production, Into the Woods. Your favorite figures from childhood — Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk — undertake various quests to win their hearts’ desire, then face the… Read More

Acclaimed novelist and essayist Ann Patchett will speak at the Blair School at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, as part of Nashville Public Library‘s Salon@615 series. Patchett will discuss her new memoir, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. Read The Tennessean‘s… Read More

The Blair Composers concert on Monday, October 28, is a wide-ranging affair, spotlighting some of the Blair School’s best faculty and student musicians performing works written by the composition faculty. Included on the program are two world-premiere performances of pieces by Michael Kurek, both featuring guest artists Ovidiu Marinescu, cello,… Read More

If you are coming from off-campus for Wilson Southerland’s master class in collaborative piano on Saturday, Oct. 19 from noon-3 p.m., there is a Vanderbilt football game going on at the same time, but parking for the master class is still FREE in West Garage. Just tell the parking attendant… Read More

On Wednesday, October 9, the Nashville Scene released the winners of its 2013 Best of Nashville awards, and Blair School-affiliated artists took home a record-setting nine awards: eight Writers Choice awards, plus a Readers Choice award. Senior Lecturer Peter Cooper won the Readers Choice award, voted Best Music… Read More

Monday, Oct. 7 Sheherazade Trio concert, 8 p.m. in Turner Hall Tuesday, Oct. 8 Violin master class with Susan Waterbury, 2:30-4:30 p.m. in Turner Hall Cello master Class with Elizabeth Simkin, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in Room 2192 Chamber music master class with pianist Jennifer Hayghe, 5:30-7… Read More

Haunted happenings are afoot at the Blair School. The Blair Witch is coming, and she’s got her wand aimed your way! The 10th annual Blair Witch party will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, in the Schulman Center, at the cornner of 25th Avenue and Vanderbilt Place, across… Read More

Popular artist interview series returns to Ingram Hall Dec. 9 The Blair School of Music is pleased to announce the return of the Conversations Series. On Monday, December 9, Senior Lecturer Jen Gunderman will conduct an informal on-stage conversation with rock legend Peter Frampton, followed… Read More

The Nashville Symphony hosts its popular Free Day of Music program 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday Sept. 28, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and several Blair School performers and ensembles will be performing. At 1:30 p.m. in the West Courtyard, catch an engaging set from Blair piano instructor Elizabeth… Read More

Recent CD Releases by Faculty and Alumni The Blakemore Trio Plays Beethoven and Ravel, Blue Griffin Records, by the Blakemore Trio: Amy Dorfman, piano, Carolyn Huebl, violin, and Felix Wang, cello. Featuring two masterworks for piano trio—Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1,… Read More

Photo credit: Peter Adamik Blair’s Newest Artists-in-Residence In January, the Blair School of Music announced a partnership with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet as the school’s newest artists-in-residence. The world’s most celebrated wind quintet has completed its original planned three-year residency at Blair, with highly successful and… Read More

Composer Richard Danielpour debuts piano etudes at Blair Composer Richard Danielpour A piano etude dedicated to another musician can tell a lot about the honoree. In the case of the C Major Etude by Richard Danielpour, the famed composer freely admits that the piece reflects great admiration… Read More

As Blair approaches its 50th anniversary, one faculty member has been there all the way Roland Schneller, Chancellor's Professor of Piano at the Blair School of Music Roland Schneller is that rarest of individuals in the 21st-century American workforce—someone who has spent his entire career with one… Read More

Voice students at Blair benefit from the coaching expertise of collaborative pianists Voice instruction at the Blair School of Music is now doubly enriched by the presence of two full-time vocal coaches/collaborative pianists who work exclusively with undergraduate voice majors. In addition, a master class in collaborative piano has been… Read More

Allison Pao, John Hartley and Jocelyn Hartley, all students at MLK High School and members of the Curb Youth Symphony at the Blair School, have organized a concert to benefit The Contributor. The Contributor is a local newspaper that offers homeless Nashvillians the opportunity to make a living by selling… Read More

Gregory Stewart, Pam Schneller and Walter Bitner at the Blair School of Music, Sept. 16, 2013. The Blair School of Music is pleased to announce Friends & Partners in Music, a new partnership with Nashville School of the Arts, Nashville’s arts magnet public high school. With… Read More

Two Jobs in One   Jeremy Wilson, associate professor of trombone Few musicians wind up winning their very first orchestral audition, and the percentage of those whose first audition is with the Vienna Philharmonic is likely very slim. That… Read More

Blair School composition professor Michael Alec Rose will be featured on a panel discussion titled “Living Before Dying,” as part of the Kefi Project, an organization dedicated to the creation of public art on Vanderbilt University’s campus. The “Living Before Dying” panel dicsussion will take place at 6 p.m. Read More

Looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend? The Blair School is hosting a Musical Instrument Petting Zoo at Musicians Corner in Centennial Park, 13:30-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, in the Kidsville Tent at Musiciand Corner, in Centennial Park. Blair’s talented Precollege Honor Scholars will give a… Read More

Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music invites applications for a tenure-track position in musicology at the rank of Assistant Professor starting in August 2014. The position involves teaching a broad range of undergraduate courses in Western music history, developing topical courses for music majors, maintaining a vibrant and active scholarly… Read More

What can you do with a Blair degree? Ask Brian Biederman. The 2010 Blair School graduate, now a middle school music teacher in Nashville, is featured on the Huffington Post for his Littlestone Music Academy, a summer music program he launched this summer at Montgomery Bell Academy. Read… Read More

Blair’s curriculum evolves to reflect and reinforce student needs in the 21st century From the beginning, Blair students are placed in small chamber ensembles concurrently with playing in larger ensembles. Playing in small ensembles develops their listening and collaborative skills for playing in the larger… Read More

Explore the history of the Civil Rights Era through the music of the day. “Rhythm & Blues Tore Down the Walls of Segregation” is a weekly class in the Blair School’s adult education program. The class is taught by acclaimed music industry executive Steve Buckingham, who experienced the events first-hand. Read More

Acclaimed Nashville guitarist Dave MacKenzie joins the Blair School’s faculty this fall with a new course for our adult students. “Pre-World War II Blues Recordings: An Aural and Visual Survey” will explore early examples of the genre. Students will listen to 200-300 recordings made between 1920-1942, encompassing every major African-American… Read More

Photo by John Russell, courtesy of Country Music Association The Blair School of Music joins with the entire music community to mourn the passing of legendary music industry executive and producer Jim Foglesong, who died Tuesday morning (July 9) at the age of 90. “Jim was a… Read More

From June 12th to the 18th, the Blair Children’s Chorus will be touring to San José, Costa Rica on a musical performance tour. The Girls’ Concert Choir will combine with several other youth choirs form the United States, including the Charlotte Children’s Chorus and the Cary Academy Choir, all while… Read More

On April 7, 2013, the Blair School of Music’s acclaimed student percussion ensemble, VORTEX, presented the southeastern U.S. premiere of George Antheil’s Ballet mécanique. It’s a wildly raucous piece of music that includes airplane propellers, electric bells, 10 pianos, and much more. At the heart of that piece are… Read More

Mary Grace Johnson, featured soloist at the Side-by-Side concert. The annual Side-by-Side concert, which pairs the Blair School’s Curb Youth Symphony with the Nashville Symphony, will take place at 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 16, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Admission is free and open to the public. Read More

The Blair School’s precollege chamber music program wraps up its Spring 2013 season with a diverse concert program at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28, in Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall. Nine ensembles will perform, followed by a reception. The concert program features: Jenna Mangum, violin; Jonathan Hearn, oboe; and… Read More

As Moore and Warren Colleges take shape at the corner of West End and 21st avenues, Vanderbilt University Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Richard McCarty has named two award-winning faculty members to lead the new residential colleges that are part of the College… Read More

In a ceremony on April 18, the Blair School’s annual awards and honors were announced. Shelby Flowers, a Musical Arts/Piano major from Highlands Ranch, Colo., took top honors for the 2013 graduating class, winning the 2013 Founder’s Medal. She will be recognized at Commencement ceremonies on May 10. Ben Tieslau… Read More

Amy Thompson, a harp performance major, has been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal Award for Youth. Thompson, a native of Springfield, Tenn., is one of just two Tennesseans who received the honor for 2012. The Robertson Country Times, in an article published April 9, detailed Thompson’s awards ceremony, which… Read More

Sergei Kvitko, a dynamic pianist in the Russian tradition, brings to Blair a concert program that has been hailed by American Record Guide as “startling and dramatic,” and by Fanfare Magazine as “masterful, intuitive playing, albeit not without some interesting quirks.” Kvitko’s program, “Of Lands and People… Read More

The winners of the 2013 Vanderbilt Concerto Competition are in the spotlight this weekend. Harpist Amy Thompson, flutist Amanda Mitchell and pianist Thomas Ridgeway will be the featured soloists at the Vanderbilt Symphony Orchestra’s April 12 concert. The performance starts at 8 p.m. in Ingram Hall, and admission is free… Read More

The chamber music program is one of the centerpieces of an undergraduate education at the Blair School. On April 10, some of the very best student ensembles take the stage to show what that means. Here’s the program for Wednesday’s concert, which starts at 8 p.m. in Steve & Judy… Read More

Odie Blackmon, a Grammy-nominated songwriter who teaches songwriting at the Blair School, will have a song spotlighted on the April 3 episode of ABC TV series Nashville. “Tough All Over,” a song Blackmon co-wrote with Jim Lauderdale, will be performed by new character “Will” portrayed by actor Chris Carmack. Read More

Blair School of Music students Katherine Walden and DeLesslin “Roo” George-Warren have been awarded Vanderbilt Undergraduate Summer Research Program Fellowships for summer 2013. Walden will spend the summer conducting field research for her senior honors thesis, tentatively titled “Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Exploring connections between music, community, and… Read More

The final Living Sounds concert of the 2012-13 season takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 28, in Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall. Living Sounds is a showcase for the Blair School’s student composers, with their works performed by Blair student and faculty musicians. Here’s the program, with comments… Read More

Elizabeth Cook. Photo by Kristin Barlowe   Soulful country singer Elizabeth Cook will headline the Blair School of Music’s 10th Annual Appalachian Celebration 2013, scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Blair School’s Ingram Hall. She’s joined by Tim Carroll… Read More

Nearly 100 of Nashville’s best musicians, including students and faculty from the Blair School, will perform a continuous six hours of the music of J.S. Bach, both in ways Bach would feel at home with and in ways that he never dreamed of. Everything from cantatas to jazz combos! The… Read More

Joy Fan won the Kentucky MTNA Junior Strings Division. Joy is a student of Connie Heard. Chloe Harvel, violin, won honorable mention in Junior Strings at the MTNA Southern Division competition in January 2013. Chloe is a student of Carolyn Huebl. Nolan Harvel, guitar, won the Columbus State Guitar Symposium… Read More

Blair School of Music precollege violin student Mary Grace Johnson won the Nashville Symphony Curb Concerto Competition on March 3, 2013, in the final round of three performers. Johnson will perform the first movement of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, Op. 14, with the Nashville Symphony and Curb Youth Symphony at… Read More

Musicologist Alejandro Enrique Planchart, Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of California – Santa Barbara, will present a talk titled “Venerabilis vir Guillermus Du Fay, Musicus,” exploring the evolution of the concept of the composer during the medieval period.  The presentation will take place at 4… Read More

Violist Daniel Reinker presents an evening of trios that spotlight the viola, with guest performers Christian Teal and Mary Kathryn VanOsdale, violins; Kathryn Plummer and Sarah Cote, violas; Licia Jaskunas, harp; and Erik Gratton, flute. Zoltán Kodály’s Serenade for Two Violins and Viola is a dynamic, virtuosic piece for an… Read More

The Blair School’s popular Music on Film series this month presents François Girard’s musical masterpiece, The Red Violin. The screening, which is co-presented by the Nashville Symphony, will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in Ingram Hall. Canadian director Girard’s 1998 film is a swirling,… Read More

For the second year in a row, Cheekwood’s annual Cheekwood in Bloom spring celebration will include a special Drawing Room Concert Series featuring Blair School of Music musicians. The last two Sundays in March and every Sunday in April, from 2-3 p.m., a different Blair musician or… Read More

Japanese percussionist Kuniko Kato, a gifted marimba player and multi-instrumentalist, will perform a marimba concert at Blair School of Music’s Turner Hall at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Kuniko’s program, “History of Marimba Music in Japan,” will showcase Kuniko’s interpretations of popular marimba pieces by great… Read More

The second installment of the 2012-13 Living Sounds concert series takes place at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20 in Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall. For this series, Blair’s student musicians perform works written by their composer compatriots. The results are wide-ranging in instrumentation and style, but always thought-provoking and… Read More

After a tornado ripped through Hattiesburg, Miss., on Feb. 10, causing tens of millions of dollars of damage to the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, the members of the Vanderbilt Trombone Studio wanted their Southern Miss peers to know they were thinking about them. Blair School of Music… Read More

On Friday, February 15, The Blakemore Trio celebrates the release of its debut CD recording, The Blakemore Trio Plays Beethoven and Ravel, out this month on Blue Griffin Records. The concert and CD release party takes place at 8… Read More

Photo by E. Thiébeault Pianist Florence Millet, a founding member of the acclaimed Lion’s Gate Trio and a prize-winning soloist, conducts a residency at Blair this week, leading master classes in solo piano and chamber music performance. She caps the residency with a concert performance of works… Read More

Music City Trio (from left): Nathan Lowry, Susan Yang and Jennifer Pittman. At the annual MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) Southern Division Finals, several Blair students took honors, and one student ensemble will move on to the national competition in March. The Southern Division competition was held… Read More

Every year, the Blair School of Music awards more than $200,000 in merit and need-based scholarship awards to young students for music lessons, classes and ensembles. Scholarships are awarded to students ages 6-18 by audition. Each department holds auditions in early April. Download the scholarship application here. Read More

Violinist Ani Kavafian conducts master classes at Blair January 29-30. Photo by Bernard Mindich Violinist Ani Kavafian, a 34-year veteran of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and violin professor at Yale University, will be in residence at Blair January 29-30 to conduct master… Read More

The results of the concerto competition have been posted. Forty-two students competed over the weekend, and the finals were held Sunday night. The judges were very impressed by the performances, and the finals were a nice showcase for the school and students. Concerto Competition Winners Amanda Mitchell, flute Thomas… Read More

Marion Reinhard, bassoon; Fergus McWilliams, horn; Walter Seyfarth, clarinet; Michael Hasel, flute; Andreas Wittman, oboe. Photo by Peter Adamik For the third year in a row, the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, the world’s most celebrated woodwind quintet, returns to the Blair School of Music. This year’s residency… Read More

As of 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 14, Curb Youth Symphony rehearsal is still planned to take place as usual at 6:35 p.m. However, CYS directors are monitoring the weather situation. If the weather where you are is dangerous, do not come to rehearsal! CYS directors will reevaluate the weather… Read More

Eric Owens performs at the Blair School of Music on February 23, 2013 On February 23, Grammy-winning American bass-baritone Eric Owens will take the stage at Blair, accompanied by pianist Warren Jones. Owens is a rising star in the opera world, currently starring as Alberich… Read More

Flight to Shijiazhuang December 27, 2012 After quite the early wake-up, we are on a domestic flight to Shijiazjuang. (No idea how to pronounce that!) I definitely am one of about three blonds on the entire flight, amid a sea of black hair. The flight attendant just announced the… Read More

So we are now in YanCheng, checked into a hotel where we finally have wifi and some time to warm up in our hotel rooms. Our first two concerts were great successes, and we played to full houses in both in Xingtai and Nanjing. In Xingtai, we played in a… Read More

December 26, 2012 Just got into the hotel in Shanghai after a few minor snafus — nothing dramatic. Thirty-six hours of travel later, I’m so excited just to shower. Less excited about waking up at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning for another plane ride. “Minimally tolerable” probably best describes the plane… Read More

I have always loved airports. Buying books and magazines, the plane train and being able to get a burrito at 6 a.m. if you want — it’s magical. It’s a good thing I love airports, because that is my Christmas present — a day full of airports. That may sound… Read More

We are sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting to get on our first flight. We’ve been up all night (not counting the nap on the bus) and we have many hours of flights ahead. Are we crazy? Perhaps not yet, but after the day we have ahead we might be. Read More

Well we’ve made it to Atlanta! Got a few hours of sleep on the bus, but now I’m trying to stay up until we get to Chicago. That way I’ll theoretically be sleeping “at night.” Sleepy orchestra. I’m wearing a bear hat (as you’ll see below). We’ve camped out in… Read More

Heeeere we go!  Just passed the first test, the weighing of the luggage. Sitting in Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall, waiting for the group to filter in. I’m very impressed with my own luggage, weighing in at just 37 pounds. Lillian probably wins though, at 22… Read More

Halloa, all. My name is Lindsey Reymore, and I’ll be blogging for the next week and a half on Vanderbilt Orchestra’s China Tour 2012. I’m principal oboist of the orchestra, so you might have to put up with a few complaints about reeds! I graduated from Blair… Read More

Hello! My name is Sam Rhoades, and I’m a senior violin performance major at the Blair School of Music. If you’re reading this, you already know that the Vanderbilt Orchestra is going on tour in China this holiday season. The purpose of this blog is to share… Read More

When we first played Strauss waltzes last year in a Vanderbilt Orchestra concert, Maestro (Robin) Fountain told us that often they were played and danced to at festive New Year’s celebrations in Vienna. I thought that would be a perfectly elegant way to spend that holiday —… Read More

Want to follow along as Vanderbilt Orchestra embarks on its holiday concert tour in China? You can read all about it in real time. Orchestra members Caitlin Quinlan, Lindsey Reymore and Sam Rhodes will be blogging their experiences on this historic trip. Watch this space for their updates! The orchestra… Read More

Vanderbilt University’s VUCast newscast profiles new trombone professor Jeremy Wilson, who comes to the Blair School of Music from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, where he was a member since 2007.  … Read More

Snowbird has come to Vanderbilt! Members of the Blair Choristers and the Nashville Boychoir can be seen this winter on Nashville’s WSMV-TV (Comcast channel 4), in a station advertisement promoting the Snowbird School Closings report. The Choristers and Boychoir are both part of the… Read More

The first round of this year’s Collegiate Concerto Competition will be held on Saturday, January 19, in the Instrumental Rehearsal Hall at the Blair School of Music, from 9 a.m. until finished. As many as 10 finalists will be selected to perform in the final round at 7 p.m. Sunday,… Read More

Craig King is bringing his wealth of experience and wisdom back to Blair on December 10 as part of the Blair Hit Songwriter Series in An Evening with Craig King and Friends. The class starts at 7 p.m. in Room 2192 at thr Blair School of Music, 2400 Blakemore Ave. Read More

Registration opens Monday, December 3, for spring semester precollege and adult course offerings. Private lessons and a wide variety of classes are available – see the brochures for complete details and to register. Highlights for precollege students In order to make our ensemble courses available to the broadest possible… Read More

Stefan Jackiw, widely recognized as one of the best young violinists today, will conduct master classes with Blair students from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Nov. 3. While only Blair students will participate directly in the class, anybody may attend and observe, and the sessions are free and open to public. Read More

Due to Hurricane Sandy, the Vanderbilt Office of Undergraduate Admissions released this message to prospective students: “The Admissions Office at Vanderbilt understands that many of you on the East Coast are being impacted by Hurricane Sandy. We understand that you may have difficulty submitting the Common Application or acquiring required… Read More

Blair’s second afternoon chamber music recital of the 2012-13 season, which takes place 2:20-3:10 p.m. Wednesday, October 31, will be full of musical treats. This program is free and open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend. Blair students who are registered… Read More

Blair composition professor Stan Link is the featured composer/performer at the final installment of Zeitgeist Gallery's Indeterminacies performance and conversations series for Fall 2012. Adjunct professor Robert Bond will moderate the conversation. The event takes place 6-8 p.m. Thursday, November 1, at the gallery, 1819 21st Ave. S. It is free and open to the public. Link has composed three original pieces for this event, which will be performed by Blair faculty, students and friends. The works will be performed just this once, from Link's original score, which will then be destroyed. Performers include: Stan Link, composing and computer processing Michael Slayton, composer Zach Bowers, marimba Shelby Flowers, marimba Kevin Rilling, marimba Ali Cole, soprano Emma Dansak, viola Jonathan Rattner, video artist See below for the full press release from Zeitgeist Gallery about this event. Read More

Precollege families, get ready to get ghoulish! On Thursday, October 25, from 4-6 p.m., the Anne Potter Music Library will host its annual Halloween open house for our precollege students and their families. Go scavenger hunting to find music library resources and services Play Music Library mini-golf Play music bingo… Read More

Brad Schmitt from The Tennessean took a preview look at a few of the student composers who will be featured on tonight’s Living Sounds concert: Shelby Flowers, Jon O’Hara and Riley Crabtree. Read the full story!… Read More

The Nashville Scene has released the winners of its annual Best of Nashville awards, and Blair faculty members brought home six Writers’ Choice awards. Best New Classical Recording: Carolyn Huebl, violin, and Mark Wait, piano, for their Naxos Records release, Stravinsky: Works for Violin and Piano. Best Chamber Music Performance:… Read More

Blair’s first student Chamber Music Recital of the 2012-13 season features works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms, performed by some of Blair’s stellar student chamber ensembles. The recital takes place at 2:10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, in Steve & Judy Turner Recital Hall, and is free… Read More

  Carolyn Huebl and Mark Wait (photo: Jim McGuire) Music critic John Pitcher, of ArtsNash, posts his glowing review of violinist Carolyn Huebl and pianist Mark Wait’s October 2 recital at Blair. “The classics have seldom sounded so good,” he says. Read the… Read More

Pianist Angela Mace, a 2006 graduate of the Blair School of Music, made headlines this week with an important musical discovery. Duke University announced that Mace, now pursuing her Ph.D. in musicology at Duke under the advisement of R. Larry Todd, has proved the authorship of a mystery “lost sonata.”… Read More

Mentors in Music Advice for high school music students and their families, from college students and parents who have been there! 2-4 p.m. Sunday, September 23, in Blair’s second-floor classrooms Panel discussions with Blair undergraduates How to pick a college for music… Read More

The Blair School of Music congratulates sophomore Steven Fiske (at far left in photo), who is starring as Claudio in Nashville Shakespeare Festival‘s current production of Much Ado About Nothing. The play runs Aug. 16-Sept. 16, Thursdays through Saturdays plus Labor… Read More

The Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University is pleased to announce four new faculty appointments beginning in the 2012-13 academic year, including highly prestigious appointments in trombone and bassoon, a new director of choral programs and a newly created position for a second vocal coach. “We are extremely fortunate… Read More

After a successful world-premiere performance in Nashville in February, the Blair String Quartet continues its three-city tour to debut "Images from a Closed Ward," commissioned from and written for the ensemble by esteemed composer Michael Hersch. Read More