News

  • Vanderbilt University

    Dean Melissa Rose reappointed to extended term beginning July 2026

    Melissa K. Rose, Dean Blair School of Music Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver has announced the extension of Melissa Rose’s term as dean of the Blair School of Music. Named dean in January 2024, Rose will have her appointment extended an additional year through June… Read More

    Nov. 18, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Blair students shine at MTNA and TMTA state competitions

    The MTNA National Competitions are among the most respected student performance competitions in the country. Every year, thousands of young musicians gather to compete. The purpose of the competition is to give students meaningful performance and learning experiences while recognizing excellence in music… Read More

    Nov. 17, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Heather Conner inducted into Steinway & Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame

    Steinway & Sons President Gavin English with Heather Conner. Blair School of Music Chancellor’s Chair of Piano Heather Conner has received the prestigious designation of being named to the Steinway & Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame. She was recently inducted at Steinway’s historic factory in New York City, in… Read More

    Nov. 10, 2025

  • Mountain Interval Album cover

    Russell Platt Releases New Album—Mountain Interval—on November 7

    Russell Platt, adjunct associate professor of music at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, has released a new album, Mountain Interval: Songs and Chamber Music, through Bridge Records. The digital release is set for November 7 with physical recording to be available November 21. The album brings together more than… Read More

    Nov. 6, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Blair Big Band will be joined by Grammy-winning trumpeter Sean Jones

    The award-winning Blair Big Band welcomes guest artist Sean Jones to Vanderbilt for a special collaborative concert event, Thursday, November 6 in Ingram Hall. A Grammy-winning musician, composer and educator, Jones is one of the most respected trumpeters of our time and has performed with a long list of superstar… Read More

    Nov. 3, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Blair celebrates first Musician Wellness Day with holistic approach to student health

    On Friday, October 24, the Blair School of Music surprised students with its first Musician Wellness Day, hosted during their weekly Friday Recital Class. The afternoon transformed Ingram Lobby into a hub of activity, with each table focused on a tool or technique to support musicians’ physical, mental, or creative… Read More

    Oct. 28, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Blair School of Music to present Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my Mouth, November 14

    Blair School of Music will present the Tennessee premiere of Julia Wolfe’s acclaimed choral work Fire in my Mouth on November 14, 2025, in Ingram Hall. The program will feature a chorus of more than 100 voices performing with the Vanderbilt University Orchestra, including The Vanderbilt Sixteen, Vanderbilt University… Read More

    Oct. 21, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Blair Academy MJB student launches drink safety startup

    Abigail Goddard, a student at the Blair Academy for Music at Vanderbilt University and a Myra Jackson Blair (MJB) Scholar, is using creativity and compassion to make a difference far beyond the concert stage.  In addition to her piano studies through the Blair program, Goddard… Read More

    Oct. 10, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Photo Gallery: Vanderbilt Opera Theater presents Alice Tierney

    Promising “a mystery where past and present collide, and identity is up for debate,” Vanderbilt Opera Theater’s production of Alice Tierney lived up to its billing and more, as it delighted Ingram Hall audiences October 3–4.  A one-act opera by Melissa Dunphy, Alice Tierney tells the story of four modern-day… Read More

    Oct. 5, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Seizing the moment: The story behind Viji Burma’s Nashville Symphony Orchestra soloist debut

    Collegiate voice students can only dream about the opportunity—someday—to be featured as a soloist with a major symphony orchestra. For Blair junior Vyjayanthi “Viji” Burma, a music education major, that dream became a reality in a whirlwind fashion last month. Photo: PJ Muer When the Nashville Symphony Orchestra had a… Read More

    Oct. 1, 2025