Herb Alpert School of Music

Herb Alpert School of Music. It is a premier music institution within the University of California, Los Angeles, established in 2007 following a transformative gift from the renowned musician and philanthropist Herb Alpert. The school consolidates the university's distinguished music departments, including the former UCLA Department of Music and the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, under one unified academic roof. It is dedicated to comprehensive musical study, embracing performance, composition, scholarship, and interdisciplinary innovation within a world-class public research university.

History

The school's origins are deeply rooted in the musical legacy of UCLA, with the UCLA Department of Music tracing its formal beginnings to the 1940s under early leaders like composer Walter Piston. A pivotal moment occurred in 2007 when Herb Alpert and his wife, Lani Hall, made a landmark $30 million donation, one of the largest ever to a U.S. music school at the time, which led to the renaming and reorganization. This gift built upon the existing strengths of the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, founded in the 1960s, which had become a global leader in its field. The establishment of the school significantly elevated the profile and resources for music at UCLA, enabling expanded programs, enhanced student support, and the recruitment of distinguished artists and scholars to its faculty.

Academics and programs

The school offers a wide array of undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts, Master of Music, and the Doctor of Philosophy. Its academic structure is organized around several core areas: the Department of Musicology, the Department of Ethnomusicology, the Global Jazz Studies program, and the Music Department which oversees performance and composition. Students can specialize in diverse fields such as music theory, music education, systematic musicology, and performance on instruments ranging from cello to West African drumming. The innovative Global Jazz Studies program, led by figures like Kenny Burrell, emphasizes the cultural and historical contexts of jazz. The school also maintains a strong commitment to contemporary practices through its Center for New Music and interdisciplinary collaborations with entities like the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.

Facilities

The school is primarily housed in the Schoenberg Music Building, named for composer Arnold Schoenberg who taught at UCLA, which contains classrooms, faculty offices, and the Schoenberg Hall performance venue. Other key facilities include the Mira Hershey Hall, which provides additional teaching and rehearsal spaces. The Ethnomusicology Archive, one of the largest such collections in the world, preserves thousands of audio and video recordings from global traditions. Performance and practice resources are enhanced by the Ostin Music Center, made possible by a gift from Michele and Michael D. Ostin, which features state-of-the-art recording studios and the Ostin Ensemble Room. Students and faculty also regularly perform in major campus venues like Royce Hall and the Freud Playhouse.

Notable faculty and alumni

The school's faculty has included many luminaries, such as pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, composer John Williams, jazz guitarist and educator Kenny Burrell, ethnomusicologist Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, and composer Paul Chihara. Distinguished composers like David Lefkowitz and Roger Bourland have taught there, alongside scholars like Timothy D. Taylor. Its alumni have achieved significant success across the music industry, including award-winning film composer Gustavo Santaolalla, conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, jazz artist Kamasi Washington, singer-songwriter Michele Branch, and Ruth Ann Swenson of the Metropolitan Opera. Other notable graduates are composer Shirley Walker and American Idol finalist Adam Lambert.

Affiliations and partnerships

As an integral part of UCLA, the school maintains strong connections with other units like the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance. It has a longstanding educational partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its director, Gustavo Dudamel, who has worked closely with students. The school also collaborates with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (now the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz) and community organizations such as the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Its international reach is extended through exchange programs and research initiatives with institutions worldwide, reinforcing its role in global music scholarship and performance.

Category:University of California, Los Angeles Category:Music schools in California Category:Educational institutions established in 2007