Faculty

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

A clarinetist-turned-scholar whose work explores the stories told through opera, Allison Chu brings to Blair a passion for connecting music to the broader cultural and historical moments in which it is created.  Chu’s path to musicology began at the University of Michigan, where she earned dual degrees… Read More

Blair School of Music is excited to present “Together We,” a Master Series event, Sunday, September 14, 2:30 p.m., in Turner Recital Hall. (Reserve tickets) Featuring Grammy-winning flutist Molly Barth, the expansive program was conceived as “an exploration of community, human spirit, and compassion” and is an… Read More

Blair professors Melanie Lowe and Douglas Shadle have been honored with editor roles for two leading music research journals. Lowe has been named editor-in-chief of The Journal of Music History Pedagogy and Shadle has been appointed editor-in-chief of The Journal of Musicological Research. Serving on the… Read More

Eric Wong will join Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music as Assistant Professor of Viola in fall 2023. Described as possessing a “tone like toasted caramel” and “amazing” (Musical Toronto), Wong has appeared on the world’s most iconic stages including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Museum of… 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

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

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

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

  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

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

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

  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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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

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

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

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

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