[NEohioPAL]Oberlin Appoints James Keller to Luce Professorship

[Marci Janas]

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Oberlin College Appoints Music Critic and Historian
James Keller to Luce Professorship of the Emerging Arts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  November 12, 2003	

MEDIA CONTACT: Marci Janas
440-775-8328//marci.janas at oberlin.edu


OBERLIN, OHIO -- Music critic and historian James M. Keller, a 1975
graduate of Oberlin College, has been named the College's new Henry R. Luce
Professor of the Emerging Arts, effective July 1, 2004. This is a faculty
position in both Oberlin's Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts
and Sciences.

"Besides being engaging and stimulating, James Keller brings to this 
important professorship an enormous breadth of interests andknowledge," 
says Dean of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Robert Dodson in announcing 
the appointment. "The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences [Clayton 
Koppes] and I believe that Mr. Keller's broader academic interests beyond 
music will help build interdisciplinary bridges between the Conservatory 
and the College."

Preparing students to make contributions to the arts in today's 
technologically enhanced and genre-crossing environment demands new, 
interdisciplinary models of arts education and an exploration of the 
intellectual framework supporting it. The Luce Professorship of the 
Emerging Arts, by examining the concepts, ethics, and aesthetics of the 
moment, aspires to bridge contemporary art making with academic
scholarship.

A prolific writer, Keller is program annotator and frequent lecturer for 
both the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony orchestras, 
positions that he will maintain while assuming his new responsibilities at 
Oberlin. He was awarded the ASCA-Deems Taylor Award for feature writing 
about music in Chamber Music magazine, for which he is contributing editor. =

>From 1990 to 2000 he served as music editor of the New Yorker magazine, 
writing weekly columns about classical and popular music, record reviews, 
and events listings. He frequently covered film and the visual arts for the =

magazine as well.

Keller believes his experience in observing and writing about the rapidly 
changing arts and culture scene suits him to a teaching position that is, 
itself, experimental.

"I'm a historian by training and bias," Keller says.  "I believe that new 
creations are born out of traditions, and I want to place them in a context =

that makes them approachable.   I have also spent a lot of time living in 
the real world, so to me 'music' doesn't mean just Beethoven and Wagner, 
but also the orchestras that play the music, the buildings they play it in, =

the marketers, fundraisers, philanthropists, unions, media -- the whole 
process whereby artistic presentations are brought into being and made 
available to audiences.
	
"I'm interested in the design and construction of theaters, concert halls, 
museums, and arts centers.  I think it would be interesting, for example, 
to look at New York's Lincoln Center as a case study. How well has it held 
up over the years?  Is it still fulfilling its purpose as well as it 
should?  Has it adapted its mission to changing cultural realities or the 
evolving nature of new artworks? Should it? How have ensuing arts centers 
followed or departed from its model?"

Keller looks forward to developing an undergraduate curriculum and teaching =

courses that are "heavily concentrated on what's happening now," he says. 
His emphasis will be on learning how to approach, evaluate, and communicate =

about new works in a meaningful way and from a critical perspective, rather =

than on actually creating and performing works incorporating new forms and 
technologies.  His curriculum will not therefore duplicate such courses as 
are offered as part of the music composition major, the studio art major, 
and TIMARA (Technology in Music and Related Arts).

Keller also hopes to harness the interest of fellow faculty members in both =

the Conservatory and the College in developing symposia and collaborative 
projects.

Keller earned bachelor degrees in 1975 from both the Oberlin Conservatory 
and Oberlin College, majoring in music history in the former and French and =

music in the latter.  He was also awarded a certificate in French language 
and literature from the Sorbonne, Paris; a Master of Philosophy in music 
history from Yale University; and a
certificate from the Careers in Business Institute at New York University's
Graduate School of Business Administration.

He has worked as an oboist, specializing in early music and historical 
performance; as a theatrical music director for productions of the American =

Shakespeare Festival, Yale Drama School, and East Lynne Company for 
Historical American Theatre; as a university teacher; and as a business 
consultant.

He wrote the books column for Seaport: New York's History Magazine, from 
1991 to 1998, and has contributed articles and reviews to many other 
publications, among them Opera News, BBC Music Magazine, Le Monde de la 
Musique, Travel  & Leisure, The New York Times, and Newsday. He has 
contributed articles to several books, including the Encyclopedia of New 
York City (Yale University Press, 1995) and
American Mavericks (University of California Press, 2001).

Recently a combination of hobbies -- gardening, cooking, and wine 
collecting -- led him to branch out into writing feature articles on 
cuisine for Bon App=E9tit.

Oberlin College and its Conservatory of Music jointly initiated the Luce 
Professorship of the Emerging Arts in 2000 with funding from the Henry Luce =

Foundation, which, since 1968, has encouraged academic innovation and 
creativity through integrative and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching =

and research in American private higher
education. The Luce Professorship of the Emerging Arts is funded for six 
years; art curator and author Linda Weintraub held the post from 2000 to 
2003.

# # #


Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
Tel: 440-775-8328
Fax: 440-775-5457
marci.janas at oberlin.edu
www.oberlin.edu/con

Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
Tel: 440-775-8328
Fax: 440-775-5457
marci.janas at oberlin.edu
www.oberlin.edu/con

Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
Tel: 440-775-8328
Fax: 440-775-5457
marci.janas at oberlin.edu
www.oberlin.edu/con=

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<fontfamily><param>Palatino</param><flushleft>

</flushleft><center><bigger><bigger><bigger><bold>Oberlin College Appoints =
Music Critic and Historian 

James Keller to Luce Professorship of the Emerging =
Arts</bold></bigger></bigger></bigger>

</center><flushleft>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  November 12, 2003	 


MEDIA CONTACT: Marci Janas

440-775-8328//marci.janas at oberlin.edu



OBERLIN, OHIO -- Music critic and historian James M. Keller, a 1975

graduate of Oberlin College, has been named the College's new Henry R. Luce

Professor of the Emerging Arts, effective July 1, 2004. This is a faculty

position in both Oberlin's Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts

and Sciences.


"Besides being engaging and stimulating, James Keller brings to this =
important professorship an enormous breadth of interests andknowledge," =
says Dean of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Robert Dodson in announcing =
the appointment. "The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences [Clayton =
Koppes] and I believe that Mr. Keller's broader academic interests beyond =
music will help build interdisciplinary bridges between the Conservatory =
and the College."


Preparing students to make contributions to the arts in today's =
technologically enhanced and genre-crossing environment demands new, =
interdisciplinary models of arts education and an exploration of the =
intellectual framework supporting it. The Luce Professorship of the =
Emerging Arts, by examining the concepts, ethics, and aesthetics of the =
moment, aspires to bridge contemporary art making with academic

scholarship.


A prolific writer, Keller is program annotator and frequent lecturer for =
both the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony orchestras, =
positions that he will maintain while assuming his new responsibilities at =
Oberlin. He was awarded the ASCA-Deems Taylor Award for feature writing =
about music in <italic>Chamber Music</italic> magazine, for which he is =
contributing editor.  From 1990 to 2000 he served as music editor of =
the<italic> New Yorker </italic>magazine, writing weekly columns about =
classical and popular music, record reviews, and events listings. He =
frequently covered film and the visual arts for the magazine as well.


Keller believes his experience in observing and writing about the rapidly =
changing arts and culture scene suits him to a teaching position that is, =
itself, experimental.  


"I'm a historian by training and bias," Keller says.  "I believe that new =
creations are born out of traditions, and I want to place them in a context =
that makes them approachable.   I have also spent a lot of time living in =
the real world, so to me 'music' doesn't mean just Beethoven and Wagner, =
but also the orchestras that play the music, the buildings they play it in, =
the marketers, fundraisers, philanthropists, unions, media -- the whole =
process whereby artistic presentations are brought into being and made =
available to audiences.

	

"I'm interested in the design and construction of theaters, concert halls, =
museums, and arts centers.  I think it would be interesting, for example, =
to look at New York's Lincoln Center as a case study. How well has it held =
up over the years?  Is it still fulfilling its purpose as well as it =
should?  Has it adapted its mission to changing cultural realities or the =
evolving nature of new artworks? Should it? How have ensuing arts centers =
followed or departed from its model?"


Keller looks forward to developing an undergraduate curriculum and teaching =
courses that are "heavily concentrated on what's happening now," he says. =
His emphasis will be on learning how to approach, evaluate, and communicate =
about new works in a meaningful way and from a critical perspective, rather =
than on actually creating and performing works incorporating new forms and =
technologies.  His curriculum will not therefore duplicate such courses as =
are offered as part of the music composition major, the studio art major, =
and TIMARA (Technology in Music and Related Arts). 


Keller also hopes to harness the interest of fellow faculty members in both =
the Conservatory and the College in developing symposia and collaborative =
projects.


Keller earned bachelor degrees in 1975 from both the Oberlin Conservatory =
and Oberlin College, majoring in music history in the former and French and =
music in the latter.  He was also awarded a certificate in French language =
and literature from the Sorbonne, Paris; a Master of Philosophy in music =
history from Yale University; and a

certificate from the Careers in Business Institute at New York University's

Graduate School of Business Administration.


He has worked as an oboist, specializing in early music and historical =
performance; as a theatrical music director for productions of the American =
Shakespeare Festival, Yale Drama School, and East Lynne Company for =
Historical American Theatre; as a university teacher; and as a business =
consultant.


He wrote the books column for <italic>Seaport: New York's History =
Magazine</italic>, from 1991 to 1998, and has contributed articles and =
reviews to many other publications, among them <italic>Opera News, BBC =
Music Magazine, Le Monde de la Musique, Travel  & Leisure</italic>, =
<italic>The New York Times</italic>, and <italic>Newsday</italic>. He has =
contributed articles to several books, including the <italic>Encyclopedia =
of New York City</italic> (Yale University Press, 1995) and

<italic>American Mavericks</italic> (University of California Press, 2001).


Recently a combination of hobbies -- gardening, cooking, and wine =
collecting -- led him to branch out into writing feature articles on =
cuisine for <italic>Bon App=E9tit</italic>.


Oberlin College and its Conservatory of Music jointly initiated the Luce =
Professorship of the Emerging Arts in 2000 with funding from the Henry Luce =
Foundation, which, since 1968, has encouraged academic innovation and =
creativity through integrative and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching =
and research in American private higher

education. The Luce Professorship of the Emerging Arts is funded for six =
years; art curator and author Linda Weintraub held the post from 2000 to =
2003.


</flushleft><center><color><param>0099,0066,0099</param># # #

</color></center><flushleft>


Marci Janas

Director of Conservatory Media Relations

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

39 West College Street

Oberlin, OH 44074

Tel: 440-775-8328

Fax: 440-775-5457

marci.janas at oberlin.edu

www.oberlin.edu/con


Marci Janas

Director of Conservatory Media Relations

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

39 West College Street

Oberlin, OH 44074

Tel: 440-775-8328

Fax: 440-775-5457

marci.janas at oberlin.edu

www.oberlin.edu/con


Marci Janas

Director of Conservatory Media Relations

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

39 West College Street

Oberlin, OH 44074

Tel: 440-775-8328

Fax: 440-775-5457

marci.janas at oberlin.edu

www.oberlin.edu/con</flushleft></fontfamily>=

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