Faculty News

Leading with Light

How Jaymi Lee Smith is shaping the future of graduate education at UC Irvine: A Q&A session In June, Professor Jaymi Lee Smith from the Department of Drama at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts was appointed as the Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Interim Dean of the...

Professor Vincent Olivieri explains how sound travels for the Los Angeles Times

What caused the thumping of Inglewood music festival to disrupt so many? Blame the weather? Los Angeles Times By Karen Garcia | Aug. 10, 2024 Living in Westchester, Chris Bankoff said, he’s used to two types of noise: the occasional house party by Loyola Marymount University students, and...

Molecules in Motion: Where Dance and Chemistry Collide

UC Irvine’s innovative event showcases the synergy between artistic expression and scientific inquiry At UC Irvine, the intersections of dance and chemistry culminated in an interdisciplinary event titled "Club Lab Freestyle: Molecules in Motion." Hosted in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts...

UC Irvine Choirs Named Finalists in the American Prize

Ensembles receive national recognition in choral performance The UC Irvine Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Irene Messoloras, professor in the Department of Music, have been named a finalist in the 2024 American Prize competition. The award, presented by The American Prize National Nonprofit...

Eric Lindsay Named UCI FATE Fellow

Honoring excellence in higher education The Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) at UC Irvine is pleased to announce that Eric Lindsay, lecturer specializing in musicianship, music theory and composition, has been named a 2024-2025 UCI Faculty Academy for Teaching Excellence (FATE) fellow....

In Memory of Joseph Huszti

Joseph Huszti (1935-2024) Joseph Huszti, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Music at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts, passed away on Friday, June 7, 2024. He was 89 years old. Huszti's career was distinguished by his dedication to choral music and education. He joined UC...

Timeless Echoes

Exploring Kojiro Umezaki’s new album A Distance, Intertwined Kojiro Umezaki, UC Irvine professor of music, esteemed shakuhachi player and composer, has just released his latest album, A Distance, Intertwined. Born in Tokyo and based in Los Angeles, Umezaki's artistry and research merge...

A Life of Song

Exploring Professor Darryl Taylor's Influence on African American Music: A Q&A session In July, Professor Darryl Taylor from the Department of Music at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts will receive an honor from the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. (NANM). Commemorating its...

Joel Veenstra to be the next Chair in Drama

Cultivating inclusivity, sustainability and well-being in theatre education The UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) has named Professor of Teaching Joel Veenstra as the next chair of the Department of Drama. He currently serves as the department’s vice chair of production and co-...

In Memoriam of Classical Guitarist Alexander Dunn

Alexander Dunn Internationally regarded guitarist and educator Alexander Dunn Ph.D., passed away on May 8, 2024. Dunn was a valued member of the UC Irvine Department of Music, an instructor of guitar and led the guitar ensemble since 2021.  “I knew Alex not only as a skilled musician but...

Behind the Curtain: The Making of UCI's The Prom

An inside look at the collaboration, creativity and themes of love and acceptance in the drama department’s closing show Co-directed by Don Hill and Daniel Keeling, The Prom addresses LGBTQ+ themes and societal issues, highlighting the importance of love and acceptance amidst challenges. Through...

That’s Show Biz

Don Hill makes his final curtain call after 20 years with CTSA By Christine Byrd Theater is a risky business. No one knows that better than veteran stage manager and producer Don Hill, who left the Nebraska cornfields to ultimately work with legends like Carol Burnett and Patti Lupone....

Professor Kevin Appel Named Fellow in Inaugural Clyfford Still Museum Institute Program

Honoring a Legacy of Innovation in Painting and Architecture The Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine is pleased to share that Professor Kevin Appel, chair of the Department of Art and executive director of University Art Galleries, has been selected as a fellow in the inaugural cohort...

The Gothic Imagination

Exploring Dr. Joe Davies’s new book and masterclass on Franz Schubert On Friday, April 12, 2024, the Department of Music hosted a masterclass and launch of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow Dr. Joe Davies’s book, The Gothic Imagination in the Music of Franz Schubert. The book offers a major...

CTSA Awards the 2023-24 Research & Innovation Grants

The Research and Innovation Advisory Committee (RI Committee), composed of esteemed faculty members representing each department within the Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA), rigorously evaluated an influx of 33 research proposals requesting a total of $152,000 for the 2023-2024 academic...

Stringing it Together

Dennis Kim on Fusing the Old and the New  By Chiara Guastella An extensive musical education and career could not make Assistant Professor Dennis Kim any prouder to be part of the UCI Music faculty. Kim will take the stage at Winifred Smith Hall for the sixth and final performance of the...

Professor Jibade-Khalil Huffman: Art Beyond Boundaries

By Mia Hammett Professor Jibade-Khalil Huffman is an accomplished multi-media artist, writer and newly appointed assistant professor of art whose interdisciplinary work runs the gamut of subject, medium and materiality. Huffman’s art draws on personal and collective histories, the aesthetic...

“Turning” a New Page

Andreas Mitisek's innovative approach to opera takes center stage at UCI with Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw, promising a hauntingly immersive experience that pushes the boundaries of traditional opera By Chiara Guastella Andreas Mitisek, renowned for his work as the former director...