Your support strengthens the Jayhawk legacy!

Despite the challenges of the past year, music at KU plays on! The School of Music continues our commitment to nurturing and advancing the art of music through educating students and engaging in meaningful research and creativity. Navigating the unique circumstances we all experienced strengthened our resolve and ability to connect with people around the world, reinforcing our belief in the importance of music and its power to heal and inspire. Our students, including those in large ensembles, performed virtual concerts via live and recorded streaming technology throughout the academic year. 

Other highlights include:

• Samuel Buse (Master of Music Church Music 2021) was awarded the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Award. He will study at the Instituto del Órgano Hispano in Seville, Spain, with Andrés Cea Galán, a prominent performer, teacher and scholar of the historic Spanish organ.
• Isabel Keleti (Bachelor of Music Piano Performance 2017) also received a Fulbright U.S. Student Award. She will spend nine months in the Czech Republic studying Czech piano repertoire with an emphasis on the works of Leoš Janácek.
• Doctoral candidate in wind conducting, Tom Davoren, received the 2020 Merrill Jones Award for Composition from the National Band Association for his work, “A Midwestern Suite.”
• Four new faculty members will be welcomed to campus this fall. Eduardo García-Novelli joins us as our new Director of Choral Activities, Yi-Yang Chen as Assistant Professor of Piano, Christine Jobson as Assistant Professor of Voice, and Sam Um joins our percussion faculty as an Assistant Professor of Music following his interim year as lecture faculty.

These achievements are proof the University of Kansas is persevering in the face of historic budget challenges. In the past three years, state funding for the School of Music has decreased by more than $1 million. Your partnership this year is more critical than ever. Please consider making a gift today to support the next generation of leaders and practitioners. 

On behalf of our talented students and dedicated faculty members, thank you kindly for your consideration!

Student Spotlight:

“I am incredibly grateful for the years I have spent at KU and in the School of Music. My time here has expanded my world view and granted me experiences that have only solidified my belief music can make a meaningful and long-lasting impact. I am excited to apply all that I have learned, and I know that I can always find a fellow Jayhawk wherever I go.” – Gabriella B., Music Therapy 2022