The year 2025-26 academic year kicked off for The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music on Wednesday evening of September 24th with a Fall welcome. Students, faculty and staff met in the Schoenberg Music Building to hear important academic and building updates and connect with others in the school.
The evening began with the welcoming of the school of music’s new dean, Michael Beckerman. Travis J. Cross, director of bands, led a brass and percussion ensemble with a performance of the fanfare from Leoš Janáček’s Sinfonietta. It was a special surprise for Beckerman, whose groundbreaking work on Czech composers earned him the Janáček Medal of the Czech Ministry of Culture. Introduced by Robert Fink, chair of the music industry program and interim dean prior to Beckerman’s arrival, Beckerman took to the stage to address the school of music for the first time.
Beckerman spoke about what makes The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music special. Was it the world-class faculty? The generous donors? The dedicated staff? The talented students? No, said Beckerman. It was no one thing. It was the entire community, united in a love of music. The idea of community resonated throughout the evening as students met in breakout sessions by academic programs and then retired to the courtyard for refreshments.
