The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is proud to announce the promotion of two of our faculty members to the rank of Distinguished Professor: Peter Kazaras and Ian Krouse. This awarding of UCLA’s highest faculty rank is a superlative academic honor, and recognizes a limited number of outstanding professors who are pre-eminent authorities in their fields; faculty recognized as outstanding teachers, mentors, and university citizens.
Professors Kazaras and Krouse embody the highest quality of scholarship and artistry at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. They join Vladimir Chernov, Juliana Gondek and Ray Knapp as current holders of the Distinguished Professor rank at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Kazaras is the director of Opera UCLA and served as the inaugural Susan G. and Michel D. Covel MD Chair at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He arrived at UCLA in 2007 after a celebrated career as an opera performer, director, and leader of young-artist programs. As a tenor, he appeared in many of the world’s leading opera houses and sang in lauded premieres of new works by preeminent American composers, including Leonard Bernstein and John Corigliano. At UCLA, Kazaras has directed, supervised, or produced nearly 40 productions, and he regularly directs for major professional companies, including the Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera.
Krouse, co-division chair and professor of composition, is recognized internationally as one of the leading composers of classical guitar music today. Throughout his career, Krouse has written for nearly every ensemble and in nearly every genre, with performances and recordings of his works performed by major orchestras, choirs, wind ensembles, chamber groups, and soloists around the world. In April 2015, his Armenian Requiem, a 100-minute work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, premiered to great acclaim and was quickly commemorated in a commercial recording on the Naxos label. During his UCLA career, Krouse has served as chair of the department of music and as an inaugural academic associate dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Please join us in congratulating Professors Kazaras and Krouse. The exceptional creativity, gifted teaching, and outstanding service of these two individuals has influenced generations of UCLA students, inspired colleagues, and enriched their musical fields as well as our broader culture. The Herb Alpert School of Music is honored to count these exceptional faculty among our musical community and we look forward to their continued contributions and leadership.