Vanderbilt

  • Our Suzuki program is expanding – open house August 15

    Our Suzuki program is expanding – open house August 15

    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

    Aug. 4, 2015

  • Struck by car, Blair senior wants to increase pedestrian safety, disability awareness

    Struck by car, Blair senior wants to increase pedestrian safety, disability awareness

    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

    Jul. 2, 2015

  • Thomas Crespo, BMus’11, returns as director of admissions

    Thomas Crespo, BMus’11, returns as director of admissions

    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

    Jul. 2, 2015

  • Sagen and Schneller retire

    Sagen and Schneller retire

    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

    Jul. 2, 2015

  • Blair Faculty News

    Blair Faculty News

    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

    Jul. 2, 2015

  • Blair Founder’s Medalist to study in Vienna

    Blair Founder’s Medalist to study in Vienna

    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

    Jul. 1, 2015

  • Blair School of Music’s Dobson Organ, Opus 92

    Blair School of Music’s Dobson Organ, Opus 92

    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

    Jul. 1, 2015

  • Blair’s Choral Prism concert unites Blair choral groups with university groups to bring vocal music to a broader audience

    Blair’s Choral Prism concert unites Blair choral groups with university groups to bring vocal music to a broader audience

    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

    Jul. 1, 2015

  • Blair welcomes eight faculty members in 2014-15

    Blair welcomes eight faculty members in 2014-15

    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

    Jun. 30, 2015

  • Blair works with students to combine music with a second major

    Blair works with students to combine music with a second major

    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

    Jun. 30, 2015