At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy. 

More broadly, in the words of Ukrainian-born writer Joseph Conrad, “All creative art is magic, is evocation of the unseen in forms persuasive, enlightening, familiar and surprising, for the edification of mankind.” 

As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations. 

For example, I encourage you to discover how Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg is creating sustainability through music education, ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society. Related, two graduate students—Nicholas Felder and Ian Gunnarschja—received grants to support innovative projects that promote equity in music and wellness among neurodiverse musicians.

Creative courage and unique expression at our college are further personified by Enion Pelta-Tiller—a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy—whose ambitious, experimental approach to music brings together a wealth of coexisting influences and helped shape our new cross-genre ensembles and curricula. And, in case you missed it, our Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar recently shared a delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday—a labor of love and creative fortitude in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

Additionally, more than 100 guest artists, ensembles and lecturers have energized our classrooms and graced our stages so far this academic year—most recently including Kennedy Center honoree and five-time Grammy Award-winner , and Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon; as well as visiting scholars in our Musicology + Music Theory Colloquium Series and local luminaries like alumnus —son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—who presented a master class last week as part of our annual Persevering Legacy events showcasing works by women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Also inspiring to our community this month was a musicians’ workshop led by Blues icon (and ����Vlog�ƽ�� resident) , a Colorado Music Hall of Famer.

For all these reasons among many more, I remain steadfast in our resolve to inspire artistry and discovery, together. 

With gratitude, 

John Davis
Dean, College of Music

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will celebrate the impact and influence of Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee who retires this year. In the following tribute, Professor of Jazz Studies John Gunther—who directs our Thompson Jazz Studies Program—reflects on the remarkable career and contributions of the world-renowned jazz trombonist, arranger, composer and educator: 

For more than a decade, Paul’s contributions to the Thompson Jazz Studies Program and the College of Music have been of the highest caliber and his tenure at CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� caps a 33-year career in higher education that began in 1991. 

Paul possesses remarkable artistry in his performance and composition. As a jazz trombonist, he is regarded as one of the top performers in the world. His ability on the instrument shows a level of artistry rarely heard. He is simply a beautiful player with a gift for swing and expressive melodic improvisation. 

As a composer and arranger, Paul is equally regarded as one of the best. Paul’s specialty as an arranger is in the tradition of big band swing, having spent many years on the road with one of the great touring swing bands—the Woody Herman Orchestra. He can create an arrangement that captures the spirit of the tradition of the music while adding his own contemporary voice. Many of his arrangements are performed by high school and college bands across the country. Creating a jazz composition that is accessible to young musicians yet still retains the sound and excitement of the idiom is not easily accomplished, but it is a craft that Paul has mastered. 

Paul approaches all his classes and applied lessons with high expectations for his students, a sense of genuine care, and a dedication to their growth and learning. At CU ����Vlog�ƽ��, he has directed the department's large and small jazz ensembles, taught applied jazz trombone lessons, and taught Jazz Composition + Arranging and Jazz Theory + Aural Skills—as well as advised and directed graduate students in individual composition study. Just recently, while attending a concert, I heard how much growth had occurred in one of the young jazz trombonists. He had a grasp of jazz improvisation at a level that I had not heard just a few months before. When I complimented the student, he grinned and said, “... it’s because I’m studying with Paul!” 

Paul has been an integral part of the growth and success of the College of Music’s jazz program. As department chair, I have always been able to rely on his steadfast commitment to his teaching and artistry. He will be greatly missed and leaves us with a legacy of great teaching and beautiful music making.

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A wealth of influences coexist in Enion Pelta-Tiller’s approach to music.

Classical components drawn from composers like Berlioz, Mahler, Bartok and Stravinsky; jazz violin echoes that summon the best work of Stephane Grappelli and other giants of the genre; folk and traditional elements that run the geographical gamut from Eastern Europe to Ireland to India—all of these ingredients figure into Pelta-Tiller’s ambitious and unique brand of fusion.

It’s no wonder, considering her consistent dedication to musical exploration which started with childhood and college classical music studies in San Francisco and continued after she moved to New York, connected with her future husband/musical collaborator David Tiller and eventually landed in Colorado.

“The Bay Area was a great place to grow up, musically speaking,” Pelta-Tiller recalls. “I became quite interested in experimenting with improvisation and often spent hours improvising music that sounded like what I was supposed to be practicing, or played along with Coltrane, Miles, TISQ, Jascha Heifetz and Ravi Shankar records. I was in this environment of classical, new acoustic and bluegrass-adjacent music, jazz and Indian music—and soaking it all up. 

“When I moved to New York after college, I got involved in playing new music, rock, Irish music and bluegrass.”

Combined, these influences helped carve out Pelta-Tiller’s unique niche in the local music scene, and show up in her work as a performer and an educator, as a composer and as a collaborator with musical luminaries from across the globe. She’s a founding member of the critically acclaimed indie-folk group  and directs our new Cross-Genre American Roots Strings Ensemble, roles that draw directly on her wide-ranging interests and skills. She’s also a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy at the College of Music, set to graduate in May.

Pelta-Tiller’s no-holds-barred musical approach is sure to figure in her upcoming show at  on March 11 with her group EnQuintet—a jazz ensemble that also features CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� faculty members John Gunther on winds/reeds and Victor Mestas on piano as well as Eric Thorin on bass and Kevin Mathews on drums. 

“This time, we’re mostly focusing on repertoire from members of the David Grisman Quintet because I’m interested in how that music—so inspired by both jazz and bluegrass—sounds when played by more traditional jazz instruments instead of in a string band setting,” she says. “For a couple tunes, we’ll add extra horns—Wil Swindler, Jonas Peterson and Cian Kruger—and give our pianist a rest.”

The show will also be an occasion to experience Pelta-Tiller playing her six-string violin—also known as a fadolin—made by New York-based luthier Eric Aceto, offering the depth and tone of a baroque instrument. “It’s amazing for accompanying myself on voice and expanding my improvisational palette,” she notes.

Expanding her skill-set and pushing the boundaries of creative expression have long been a hallmark of Pelta-Tiller’s approach and her connections within the College of Music have only deepened that mission, especially as it aligns with the college’s universal musician approach to fulfilling its mission.

She speaks of the work she’s done with students in her cross-genre ensemble, taking part in fiddle flash mobs and collaborating with artists like Klezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals. She speaks of  working with jazz faculty members like Gunther, Mestas and composition professor Annika Socolofsky. It’s all been part of a musical evolution that began when Pelta-Tiller played musical call-and-response games with her father as an infant.

CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� has been integral to that evolution and Pelta-Tiller looks forward to continuing the connection long after the upcoming Dazzle show and her time as a graduate student.

“In directing combos, my arranging and improvisation skills have been challenged,” she notes. “And in playing with my graduate colleagues in the jazz department, some of whom are doing really far out stuff, my concept of form and my musical imagination have been stretched further than I could have conceived.”

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Since 2019, the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� College of Music’s annual Persevering Legacy events have showcased works by women composers, including those from historically marginalized groups. This year’s concert and master class are no different.

Student soloists and ensembles are encouraged to select works from the —housed in our American Music Research Center archives—comprising compositions by Black women composers.

This year, the concert will feature 11 different acts—including the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� Chamber Singers led by Director of Choral Activities Coreen Duffy—presenting compositions by Connie Converse, Reena Esmail, Florence Price, B.E. Boykin and our previous Genevieve McVey Wisner lecturer Gabriela Lena Frank, among others. 

“Persevering Legacy is an opportunity for students to research composers or pieces that may be entirely new to them and then present those works, broadening their scope,” says Alexis McClain, director of community support + programming, who helps facilitate Persevering Legacy. “Our audiences also benefit, experiencing music that’s not often programmed.”

Alumnus  (DMA ’92, composition)—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—will lead a master class for Persevering Legacy participants, working through the pieces they’ve selected and offering his unique background, knowledge, insight and passion for the collection based on his directly personal connection.

“I’ve watched the collection unfold from close proximity for a number of years and love every aspect of the master class,” he says. “I love the music. I love getting in touch with the students who are discovering this music, often for the first time. And really, this keeps my mom alive for me because it’s not just my mother’s work, but a life’s work.” 

Walker says playing new and largely unfamiliar pieces is helpful to students in their music careers as it allows them to apply their creativity and artistry in perhaps unexpected ways. 

“We spend most of our music education studying the guys that are the Mount Rushmore of classical music. The thing is, there’s a lot of baggage that comes with this default—not only are you trying to nail the notes, but there are all these expectations that have been dictated by performers who preceded you,” says Walker who recently released a satirical new book, “.”

“So, if you’ve got these underrepresented composers, not only have you found them or are championing them, but you have to make these decisions,” he adds. “You have to develop your own internal tradition and use your creativity. It's more than you and impressing your audience that’s at stake, it's making a case for someone who could still be lost to history after you're done performing that night—and that is a really worthy challenge.”

Join us for the  on Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. and the preceding  with Gregory Walker on Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m., both in the Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building.

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“Art is possibility, expression is potential.”

That’s according to , the Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist slated to deliver the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� College of Music’s annual  Genevieve McVey Wisner lecture on Feb. 26. In his wide-ranging and ambitious oeuvre, Chacon—a member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico—has tackled themes ranging from colonization to displacement to questions of environmental stewardship and conservation.

The myriad media he’s chosen to explore these themes reflect a spirit of creative exploration. His Pulitzer Prize-winning work, “Voiceless Mass,” is an ensemble work composed specifically to be performed in any space of worship with high ceilings and pipe organ. “Sound Ladder” is a sound installation—debuted in 2024—that features a sequence of 16 pine planks hung from ceiling to floor; for this work, Chacon collaborated with members of the Bål Nango family, a Sámi family of reindeer herders and land guardians.

Chacon has built instruments and explored new ways to present sound. He’s paired his compositions with visual cues and physical components, and drawn upon the very land surrounding his compositions to convey his messages.

“I think art is there to show that we can all think in different ways, we can all dream in ways we didn’t know we could,” Chacon explains. “We’re in danger when we become narrow and exclude possibilities.” That philosophy is part of the lure of Chacon’s upcoming visit to ����Vlog�ƽ��. Working firsthand with students and offering novel perspectives about the possibilities of self-expression reconnects the artist to his own commitment to learning and growth; the chance to explore his work and style with developing musicians and artists holds its own unique appeal.

“Part of my interest in giving lectures and visiting universities is to share my work and offer music students insights into ways that music doesn’t have to be on the stage,” Chacon says, also reflecting the College of Music’s universal musician approach to achieving our mission. “It can be presented in different media—performance art, sound sculpture, as film or video. I am really interested in sharing my different tactics with students.”

The concept of place plays a large role in Chacon’s work and one of the pieces he’ll detail in his lecture is located in the United Arab Emirates in a “ghost village” that was originally assigned to a tribe of nomads by the government. “Being that they’re nomadic people, they did not move in. These houses are being taken by the desert,” Chacon explains. 

“I’ve collaborated with these individuals and musicians to record their songs,” he adds, noting that the ultimate effect of the installation is that “it sounds like their music is moving through these houses and into the desert.”

It’s an immediacy that Chacon stresses in his approach to music. While he’s a classically trained composer and musician, he’s careful not to undervalue the importance of the indefinable elements of the art form—the aspects of music that can’t necessarily be conveyed in a classroom, studio or textbook.

“I do feel like I’m continually learning,” says Chacon . I’m always seeking out the best media that an artwork should take. I’m constantly researching new technologies—experiencing exhibitions, artists and concerts. 

“I’m still a big fan of being able to see musicians play, even more so than listening to recordings. I think live music is not only an obligation or responsibility, but it’s something that is wonderful to do, as a member of an audience.”

Even as he tackles weighty questions in his work, Chacon also finds power and joy in the ability to create—a boon he looks forward to sharing during his residency. “No matter what our occupation or how we spend our daily lives, we should be conscious of the work we can do to improve upon justice and the way we treat each other.”
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Join us for the College of Music’s annual Genevieve McVey Wisner Lectureship* featuring Raven Chacon on Feb. 26 at 11:30 a.m., Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building. On Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m., Room NB185, Imig Music Building, Chacon will be part of a panel discussion, “Situating your soul’s work in a hegemonic sphere.” Both events are free and open to the public. 

Raven Chacon’s residency is made possible by the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� American Music Research Center, the College of Music’s composition department and the college’s Diverse Musicians’ Alliance. 

*Having graduated from Western University in Kansas—an historically Black college—with her first bachelor’s degree in 1922, Genevieve McVey Wisner became the first Black graduate of the College of Music in 1940 with a bachelor’s degree in music education, followed by a master’s degree in 1944 at age 42.

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Photo: Internationally acclaimed clarinetist Mariam Adam headlines Colorado Clarinet Day 2025.

It seemed like a nice idea, recalls Professor of Clarinet Daniel Silver: Let’s gather together the clarinet programs at Colorado’s four major Front Range university music departments and create a day celebrating the clarinet with workshops, exhibits, a lecture, maybe a concert or two and a master class with a guest artist. Let's call it Colorado Clarinet Day.

That was 15 years ago—and it's been going strong ever since. On Jan. 19, 2025, Colorado Clarinet Day returns to the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� College of Music.

“There’s always been camaraderie among us,” notes Silver, referring to his counterparts at Colorado State University, the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. The clarinet departments agreed to each hold a Clarinet Day annually, with the locale rotating, so that each campus would host every four years; thus, it falls on CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� to welcome clarinet lovers to our Imig Music Building next month.

Every Colorado Clarinet Day is different, Silver points out. “Each host puts their own stamp on it.”

The upcoming Clarinet Day will begin with a morning recital by Colorado players (with guests from Wyoming), followed by Silver's talk on practicing techniques. An afternoon concert by the Ambler Clarinet Choir will be followed by a free evening recital featuring guest clarinetist —with Suyeon Kim, associate teaching professor, collaborative piano—at 6:45 p.m. in Grusin Music Hall.

Silver notes the significance of Adam’s presence. A founding member of Imani Winds and a sought-after international soloist, she represents more than a superior interpreter of the clarinet: “She’s a woman of color and—going back 30 years—there haven’t been many like her in the music world. We need more like her, shining a light on (musicians) who are not white males.”

Referencing the College of Music’s universal musician approach to achieving its mission, he adds: “We’re seeing a reflection of that here, where we’ve taken steps to increase the diversity of our people.”

Recalling the first Clarinet Day, Silver points out: “We had about 60 attendees. Now, each event attracts around 200.” So, who are all those clarinet lovers? Students, alumni, educators and performers, as well as exhibitors—from Brad Behn and Brandon Chambers to the Flesher-Hinton Music Company, Mark Sloss Professional Wind Instrument Consultants and Vandoren | Dansr.

Lastly, Silver highlighted another important category of attendees: “Audiences who just want to hear good music.”

We thank all participating staff, faculty, and guest artists and teachers; and we thank the Roser Visiting Artists Program, the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� Center for Humanities & the Arts and Conn-Selmer for their support of Colorado Clarinet Day.

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Harumi Rhodes has mixed feelings about observing The Milestone. As second violinist of the world-renowned, Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet, she understands the significance of the group’s founding a half-century ago. 

“It’s a monumental moment and we’re approaching it with a sense of awe,” she admits. “I feel humbled. Yet, in another sense, for us it’s business as usual.” Much of that business takes place right here in ����Vlog�ƽ��.

Joining Rhodes in conversation is first violinist Ed Dusinberre, who’s also her husband. The English-born musician reflects on the group’s remarkable musical journey filled with loss, personnel changes and—most of all—brilliant music making.

“I find myself thinking about all our former quartet members—we wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone today except for them,” says Dusinberre, recalling that the original quartet was formed by students at the Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary, in 1975. 

“They were so young, living behind the Iron Curtain, wondering how they could fulfill their musical aspirations worldwide,” he adds.

Hard work and winning prestigious awards in several European competitions led to an American tour in 1982 and—following several U.S.-based short-term residencies—the decision to permanently relocate their families to the United States in 1985-86. Soon after, the players accepted an invitation to become the resident quartet at the ����Vlog�ƽ��—and they’ve resided here ever since, though not without challenges. Gábor Takács-Nagy stepped down in 1993 and now enjoys a successful career as a conductor and teacher worldwide. The following year, violist Gábor Ormai was diagnosed with cancer and retired, passing away in 1995. The late Roger Tapping succeeded him, leaving to spend time with his family in 2005; in turn, he was succeeded by Geraldine Walther. Upon the retirement of founding second violinist Károly Schranz, Harumi Rhodes joined the quartet in 2018. 

As the first new member in 1993, Dusinberre recalls the challenge of being a non-Hungarian. “It was a big adjustment for me, but I appreciated the welcoming, adventurous spirit of the players and the warmth of their collective sound,” he says. “The process was similar when Harumi and then Richard joined”—referring to current violist Richard O’Neill who succeeded Walther in 2020. Grammy-Award winner for Best Classical Instrumental Solo Performance in 2021, O’Neill is only the second person to receive an award for a viola performance in the history of this category. 

Today, cellist András Fejér remains the sole original member of the Takács Quartet.

For Rhodes, becoming a member of the Takács was thrilling. “The College of Music is a musical home for us. We feel grateful to be embedded in this university and the community.”

Although the Takács maintain an international touring schedule that takes up about half of their time, the foursome prioritizes time with their students, working in partnership with Meta Weiss, the College of Music’s chamber music coordinator.

It may surprise some audience members who’ve been regulars at sold-out Takács Quartet concerts to learn that the group’s campus connection extends beyond Grusin Music Hall. As Dusinberre notes, their decades-long residency is centered around daily hands-on work with College of Music students.

“Our relationship with the college is the glue that keeps us together,” he stresses. “Our graduate string quartet program inspires us to think about future generations.” This two-year program consists of intense work with a promising ensemble, preparing and guiding the young artists into the demanding world of quartet playing.

“The newest quartet we’re working with is the Michigan-based ,” adds Rhodes. “We’ll listen to their interests and help them to develop a unique musical voice.”

The College of Music’s chamber music program has a long track record of success. The Brisbane, Australia-based is a good example: Via email, first violinist Daniel Kowalik shared that his group met the Takács at a music festival in Sydney in 2011—at that time, the Orava had been together for five years. They soon came to CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� to study with the Takács.

“We always worked with one member at a time,” wrote Kowalik. “They rotated, so we had time with each member. I asked lots of questions, from general well-being to dealing with the pressures of performing.”

Today, the Orava Quartet enjoys an active schedule and has been signed by Deutsche Grammophon. Their ����Vlog�ƽ�� experience “really helped launch us into having a career,” Kowalik noted. “Our coachings were invaluable and absolutely essential to learning the craft. Being mentored by the Takács forever changed how I think about and approach music making.”

For many students at the College of Music, a career as a performer isn’t their only goal—and the Takács Quartet is sensitive to that, too. “It’s only partly about making music,” Rhodes emphasizes. “Much of what we focus on when we’re talking with students has to do with how to make a life in music.” 

Dusinberre treasures those conversations. “I ask students to identify individual favorite moments in a piece and we explore different ways to heighten those moments. Hopefully they learn about each others’ musical tastes and how to use their individual ideas to shape a unified interpretation.” 

When touring and recording sessions wind down, these beloved artists find a special joy in coming home to ����Vlog�ƽ��, visiting with faculty colleagues, and sharing their knowledge and experience with students. As Rhodes says, “The gritty and beautiful work of a string quartet happens offstage in the rehearsal room. We feel so grateful that—after many decades—this process continues in our home at CU ����Vlog�ƽ��.”

The Takács Quartet’s 50^th anniversary season is generously sponsored by Barbara and Chris Christoffersen.

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Betancourt—a native of Venezuela and an accomplished classical guitarist—will continue to serve as director at Macky which welcomes more than 100,000 people to over 100 events every season. He says adding the beloved series to the venue’s portfolio has the potential to turn over a new page for both.

“The Artist Series has been evolving for decades with an unparalleled cultural impact,” he says. “Having the Artist Series within Macky’s portfolio helps the venue to be a presenter as much as a facility for rent.”

Betancourt says the Artist Series will continue to delight long-time patrons as it also seeks to expand and diversify its programming.

“The series will still include dance, classical music, jazz, performing arts from all over the world, as well as new genres. Keeping true to its well-established mission while feeling the cultural pulse in ����Vlog�ƽ�� will help determine its evolution,” he says. “There will be wonderful choices for our legacy and new audiences to enjoy.”

When CU Presents Executive Director Joan Braun retired at the end of June after 30 years, it was determined that it made sense to separate the curation of the Artist Series from the operations of CU Presents. Braun and CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� College of Music Dean John Davis recommended Betancourt to be the Artist Series director as the most natural choice.

“Rudy is an excellent, accomplished musician and he has impeccable taste and awareness of the music scene,” Braun says. “As director of Macky, he also is very aware of audience tastes and preferences, and what they respond to. He can see some different pathways and possibilities and I’m excited to see what he does with it.”

“Joan’s legacy of innovation in the arts and securing the Artist Series’ place in the hearts of its audiences is a tall order—one that I am honored to continue. I am excited to work with the College of Music’s leadership and the Artist Series Advisory Board. It is a real privilege,” Betancourt says.

Betancourt will continue to work closely with the staff at CU Presents. “The CU Presents team brings unparalleled knowledge of how to reach our audiences and cultivate our relationship with them,” he says. “Continuing and deepening this collaboration will be paramount to the success of the series.”

CU Presents will continue to work with other as well as with the and .

Tickets for the are on sale now.

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Overseeing CU Presents requires administrative skill, a steady hand and a cool head. Just consider the competition Metzroth had to contend with after longtime director Joan Braun retired at the end of last season.

“I’m happy that the College of Music conducted a national search,” says Metzroth. “I think there were about three dozen applicants.” But one look at his résumé and it’s not surprising that Metzroth landed the position. For starters, his years of experience in nearly every aspect of the theater—backstage, onstage, above-stage, you name it—is mind-boggling. As his local credits will attest, he’s been everywhere at CU Presents for decades. Plus, his enthusiasm is contagious.

“I’ve always had a love for the theater,” he says. As for his relationship with CU ����Vlog�ƽ��, he became box office manager in 2007, handling ticketing for campus performing arts events for nine years. That’s no small task, he emphasizes: “The ticketing software [Tessitura] goes incredibly deep, and takes a long time to learn and teach.” Moving further up the ladder, he became director of operations at CU Presents in 2017. 

Today, Metzroth’s responsibilities entail close involvement in managing the Artist Series in Macky Auditorium and Takács Quartet concerts in Grusin Music Hall. But there are more shows to handle—a lot more. “There are some 450 on-campus events including about 350 College of Music events, 50 Theatre & Dance Department events and 50 Colorado Shakespeare Festival performances,” he explains. “I’ll be involved in strategy, ticketing, and marketing and communications for all our series, particularly College of Music events. You have to know what’s important to all of them, to know their goals.”

Not that he intends to remain invisible. “I never want this to be a desk job,” stresses the four-time CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� alumnus. “I see myself as a community ambassador—I want to bring audiences into performing arts experiences.”

In previous years, you could usually find Metzroth behind a box office window handling ticket sales. With a laugh, he says those days may not be entirely behind him. “Yeah, I might have to work there some nights, if we’re short-staffed.”

But as long as there’s a show going on, CU Presents’ new executive director is happy. “We’re performance- and outreach-oriented,” he adds. “An example of upcoming outreach opportunities are student matinees of [Engelbert Humperdinck’s] ‘’ in October. We’ll be bringing in students from kindergarten through second grade. That will take some coordinating with a number of schools.”

Sounds like a lot of work for “Metz”—but it’s a good bet he’ll be as excited as all those kids when the school buses arrive.

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Last summer, the College of Music and  (SPA) kicked off a new partnership to welcome 22 talented string students—ages 11-17—to our campus for an intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity. 

This month, June 20-30, it’s déjâ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and performances with their instructors and guest teachers—all under the auspices of the Sphinx Organization and thanks to a DEI Impact Grant from the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

That’s a lot to plan and implement. Yet for Alex Gonzalez—returning SPA faculty member and College of Music assistant professor of violin—it’s all a joy. “It’s wonderful to see how the SPA gives the kids space to grow, presenting them options as they pursue music,” he says.

In between, Gonzalez explains, the students do more than improve their skills on violin, viola, cello and bass: “For example, Jim Brody, who runs the College of Music’s wellness program, instructed them in healthy playing habits. It’s so important for them to learn how to prevent injury and avoid poor practice positions.” Gonzalez also notes a master class by violinist Andrea Segar who’ll join the College of Music faculty as assistant professor of violin this fall. 

Success stories are many. Among the 22 students who’ve flown in from around the country, a few are returning from last summer’s inaugural SPA on our campus; and, according to Gonzalez, three students from the first cohort have applied for admission to CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� and were accepted—including SPA alum Ryannah Blackman who will join Gonzalez’s violin studio as a freshman performance major this fall. “She told me, ‘The SPA made me want to settle here,’” he says. 

A member of the Sphinx Virtuosi where he’s concertmaster, touring extensively with the group across the country and abroad, Gonzalez understands first-hand that the road to success in music isn’t without its challenges. But programs like the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, established in 1997 to focus on “increasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music,” have done much to ease and advance that journey.

Intense teaching and motivation are valuable, of course, but the SPA provides something else, Gonzales discovered: “There’s a sense of community here, friendships have developed,” he says. “These kids are sharing their love of music, of being together. I think it lifts them up. 

“They’ve worked hard but they got Sundays off, so they went on field trips. They went to the Pearl Street Mall and they took hikes. They got to see ����Vlog�ƽ��.” 

See you next year, SPA!

SPA faculty and students will perform in Grusin Music Hall tonight and this weekend.

Photos: Kathryn Bistodeau, Sphinx Organization

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