Music School Introduces Fresh Academic Staff
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is excited to announce several new faculty members joining its roster for the fall of 2022. Among the notable additions are Shahab Paranj, Dr. McManus, Catherine Provenzano, Jan Berry Baker, and David Kaplan.
Shahab Paranj, an Iranian-born composer, conductor, instrumentalist, and educator, integrates Persian and Western composition techniques. Known as a tombak virtuoso, Paranj's wide artistic activities position him as a recent faculty addition at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Dr. McManus will teach undergraduate conducting and other music education courses. He had a recent role as a director before joining the Herb Alpert School of Music faculty.
Catherine Provenzano, an Assistant Professor of Musicology, is thrilled to teach and learn in an environment of such range and vitality at the Herb Alpert School of Music. Her academic focus is on voice, mediation, and labor in contexts of popular music production, with a regional specialty in North America. Provenzano has conducted ethnographic research with software developers, audio engineers, music producers, and artists in Los Angeles, Nashville, Silicon Valley, and Germany.
Provenzano is also a singer, songwriter, and scholar. She earned her Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from New York University and has published an article in the Journal of Popular Music Studies and presented research at meetings of the Society for Ethnomusicology, EMP PopCon, The New School, Berklee College of Music, and McGill University. At NYU and The New School, Provenzano taught courses in popular music, critical listening, analysis of recorded sound, and music and media.
Jan Berry Baker, Associate Professor of Saxophone and Woodwind area head in the department of music, is a frequent performer with renowned ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Baker is a founding member of the Committee on the Status of Women in NASA (North American Saxophone Alliance) and co-artistic director of the contemporary music ensemble, Bent Frequency.
David Kaplan, an accomplished soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, has joined as Assistant Professor of Piano Performance in the department of music. Kaplan studied at the Yale School of Music and the University de Künste in Berlin on a Fulbright fellowship. He is a core member of Decoda, the affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall.
Catherine Provenzano and her husband are eager to dive into the rich cultural landscape of Los Angeles. Provenzano is eager to join the engaged academic community at the Herb Alpert School of Music. Jan Berry Baker is looking forward to contributing to the school's vibrant music scene.
David Kaplan, a UCLA alumnus from the class of 2005, is also eager to return to the school and contribute to its music program.
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is excited to welcome these talented and dedicated musicians and scholars to its faculty. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will undoubtedly enrich the school's music program and contribute to its continued success.
References:
- Gabriel Esperon named a 2022-2023 Herb Alpert Institute Fellow
- UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music welcomes Shahab Paranj as its newest faculty member
- Dr. McManus joins the Herb Alpert School of Music as a faculty member
- Jan Berry Baker named Associate Professor of Saxophone and Woodwind area head
- David Kaplan joins the Herb Alpert School of Music as Assistant Professor of Piano Performance
- Catherine Provenzano, with her academic focus on voice, mediation, and labor in contexts of popular music production, is excited to join the engaged academic community at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where she can learn and teach in an environment of such range and vitality.
- Jan Berry Baker, looking forward to contributing to the school's vibrant music scene, is eager to immerse herself in the rich cultural landscape of Los Angeles, alongside her husband.
