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Among several Homecoming weekend events, we’re delighted that Willie Hill—College of Music alumnus, as well as former College of Music professor and director of the CU Jazz Summer Camp—will be honored at tonight's 93rd Annual Alumni Awards ceremony in the Glenn Miller Ballroom.

“We value a broad aesthetic range of sound-based art that is inclusive of all genres and manners of music making, ranging from concert music to songwriting, electroacoustic to jazz, experimental and beyond.” Learn more about our exciting Pendulum New Music concert series, soon to be redubbed ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ SoundWorks.

“The way I see it, developing universal musicians who demonstrate diversity in all forms is both a mission and a process that directly supports and sustains democracy. Our diversity of experiences and abilities, perspectives and opinions, races and ethnicities, and genders and sexual identities enhances our conversation, ignites and expands our awareness, and makes us better when we come together.”

A new member of the College of Music faculty shares his approach to preparing students to become universal musicians, and fostering an environment of diversity and inclusivity. “It's not about hyper-specialization, but about flexibility, creativity and keeping an open mind,” he says.

On May 5, we look forward to welcoming back Judith Glyde, formerly professor of cello and chamber music at the College of Music and chair of our string faculty. Since retiring in 2014 to live in New York City, the professor emerita she has been active with the college’s alumni community there, offering tremendous support to Forever Buffs who are now living and working in the city.

“While there’s no playbook for the unprecedented and the unknowable, by channeling collective despair into collective creativity, we become artistic entrepreneurs, contributing to society in impactful ways.” In this year-end reflection on triumphs over turmoils, Dean Davis offers his perspective on music as essential to human betterment.

In a delayed celebration of the College of Music’s 100th anniversary, the CU Symphony Orchestra will perform a specially commissioned work by renowned composer Christopher Theofanidis. “The one thing you can do is create something that represents you—a musical poem that you leave behind for others to enjoy and perform,” says the Grammy-nominated composer whose “On the Bridge of the Eternal” will debut in Macky Auditorium on April 26.

To support our students’ and our community’s musical development, the College of Music offers summer session courses and richly varied summer programming.

Recent alumnus Kaleb Chesnic has already made his mark on flute repertoire by transcribing all three of Edvard Grieg’s violin sonatas. He shared with us how his debut recording with collaborative pianist and alumna Nathália Kato came to be.

In this edition of our monthly Dean’s Downbeat, John Davis reflects on our students’ successes, introduces new violin faculty—welcome, Alex Gonzalez!—and celebrates Susan Thomas’ BFA Excellence Award. Transcending pandemic burnout, “our faculty offer anchorage through their teaching excellence, and their wonderfully consistent artistic achievements as performers, composers and researchers,” he writes.