In 2025, Helen Rees, professor and director of the World Music Center, will become chair of the Department of Ethnomusicology at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music for the second time.
“We are thrilled to welcome Helen back as chair,” said Bob Fink, acting dean of the school of music. “She brings deep expertise, a strong ethic of service, and an inspiring vision to the role. Ethnomusicology has long been a pioneering and dynamic force in the arts at UCLA, and the department is central to our identity as a contemporary school of music. Under Helen’s leadership, I’m confident the department will continue to shape the future of the field.”
The Department of Ethnomusicology is coming off a remarkable year. It hosted the annual conference of the Society for Ethnomusicology Southern California and Hawai’i Chapter (SEMSCHC), a gathering made especially meaningful by the occasion: the 70th anniversary of the arrival of Mantle Hood at UCLA. Hood went on to establish the Institute of Ethnomusicology in 1960, and his principle of bi-musicality laid the foundation for the department’s celebrated ensembles in global musical traditions.
Today, the ethnomusicology ensembles enroll hundreds of students from many different majors. Students’ work culminates in the Spring Festival of World Music, which in 2026 will celebrate its 66th year of existence, making it the longest-running festival of its kind.
“I would like to acknowledge the unstinting efforts of my immediate predecessor, Roger Savage, and note our tremendous enthusiasm in welcoming incoming dean Mike Beckerman, who has shared his support for our field and department,” said Rees. “With excellent staff colleagues in place, the Ethnomusicology Archive fully staffed, the World Musical Instrument Collection in fine hands, and the committed, hardworking faculty pulling together efficiently and generously, I look forward to our providing the best possible resources, education, and career opportunities to our inspiring undergraduate and graduate students, and to continuing our long-standing programs of community engagement.”