News and Press Releases

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Justin McManus to Lead UCLA Marching Band
On July 1, the Solid Gold Sound welcomes a new leader. Justin McManus, most recently the director of athletic bands at the University of Connecticut, will join The UCLA Herb
Kay Rhie's "H'on" Receives its World Premiere by the LA Philharmonic
(San Francisco Classical Voice): Kay Rhie’s piece is called H’on, which “means ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’ in Korean,” she explained. “For me, it’s [asking the question] ‘What does the spirit of Korean sound
Julio Frenk's Inauguration Ceremony is Music to His Ears
With vocals and instruments echoing through Royce Hall, The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music helped bring to life the June 5 inauguration ceremony for UCLA’s seventh chancellor, Julio Frenk.
Kay Rhie's Piece H'on to Premiere with LA Philharmonic
Composition professor Kay Rhie’s most recent work was commissioned by the LA Philharmonic and will premiere on June 6, 2025.
Composing Her Path: Meet Mia Ruhman, 2025 Undergraduate Commencement Speaker
On the morning of January 7, 2025, a fire had started in the Santa Monica mountains and Mia Ruhman, a fourth-year music composition major at The UCLA Herb Alpert School
Answering the Call: Meet Wade Dean, 2025 Graduate Commencement Speaker
In December 2024, just before the start of Spring Semester, Wade Dean received some bad news. At the time, He was teaching courses in music theory and jazz history at
Elena Flauto Supports Artists, Explores Future Career through Cherry Pop Records
As president of the student-run record label Cherry Pop Records for the past two years, fourth-year music industry student Elena Flauto said the organization has created invaluable opportunities for students
To Capture the Outlandish Subject of Schoenberg in Hollywood, It Takes an Opera
REVIEW by Mark Swed of the LA Times: “The commanding performance by The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music ensemble, conducted by Neal Stulberg, makes the high/low dichotomy irrelevant, leading
Spring Festival of World Music Enters Its Sixty-Fifth Year
This year marks the 65th year of the Spring Festival of World Music (May 4 through June 7, 2025). Since its founding under ethnomusicologist Mantle Hood, who began teaching at
Honoring the Promise Chair: An Evening with Tigran Hamasyan
On Tuesday, May 20, The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music will celebrate the establishment of the Promise Chair in Armenian Music, Arts and Culture with a free concert by
Opera Star Denyce Graves to Deliver 2025 Commencement Address
Mezzo-Soprano Denyce Graves has built a remarkable career. Educated at Oberlin College and the New England Conservatory, she launched her professional journey through the training program of the Houston Grand
Peter Golub to Oversee BMI Composers' Lab
Golub, an award-winning composer and director of film-music studies at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, will oversee the lab alongside BMI vice president of film, TV and visual media
Press Releases
Award-Winning Scholar and Musicologist Michael Beckerman Named New Dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
Acclaimed higher education scholar and author Michael Beckerman has been named the new dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He will begin his role at UCLA on
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Receives Gift from Mike Curb Foundation for State-of-the-Art Student Recording Facility and More
Through a special pledge by Mike Curb, California’s former lieutenant and acting governor, and music industry veteran, The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music will begin construction on a new
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Receives $5 Million to Establish Gramian-Emrani Center for Iranian Music
New academic center bolsters UCLA as a major force in the study of Iranian culture Through a $5 million pledge by Haleh Emrani in honor of her late husband, Ahmad
GRAMMY-Nominated Opera Director James Darrah Joins The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
James Darrah, the GRAMMY Award-nominated director/producer of acclaimed and innovative opera and film productions will join The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music faculty in Fall 2024.
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Announces the 2024-25 Season
September 26, 2024. The new season features celebrated poet Nathaniel Mackey, Tod Machover's opera "Schoenberg in Hollywood," student performances and scholarly symposia.
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music to Receive $5 Million Gift to Establish The Berry Gordy Music Industry Center
May 21, 2024. Berry Gordy, founder of the iconic record label and hit-making enterprise Motown, has pledged a $5 million gift to establish The UCLA Berry Gordy Music Industry Center.
Opera UCLA Presents the World Premiere of Richard Danielpour’s The Grand Hotel Tartarus at the Freud Playhouse
May 9, 2024. Opera UCLA, a collaboration between The Herb Alpert School of Music and the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, will present the world premiere of Grammy Award-winning composer Richard Danielpour’s new opera, The Grand Hotel Tartarus.
Jazz Violinist, Composer and Educator Regina Carter Joins Faculty at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
March 27, 2024. Regina Carter, the acclaimed jazz violinist who has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (2007), a Doris Duke Award (2018), and honored as an NEA Jazz Master Fellow (2023), will join The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music faculty in 2024.
Serenade with a Dandelion
MEDIA ADVISORY The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music features a world premiere of Serenade with a Dandelion. This live concert event showcases internationally-renowned musicians performing a curated selection of top Armenian composers’ work, all featured on a new 4-CD set. Hailed as a “game changer,” “a five-star
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music to offer new Music Industry Bachelor of Arts degree beginning in Fall 2023
October 6, 2023. Responding to student demand, a new B.A in Music Industry from The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music will set graduates on track toward careers in artist and label management, publicity, music publishing and licensing and more.
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