This year marks a special milestone for Duke's Department of Music as David Heid celebrates his 30th year on faculty. Known for his dynamic presence in the classroom, on stage, and behind the piano, Heid has been an inspiring force in the university’s musical community for three decades. In this in-depth interview, Heid reflects on his journey to Duke, his teaching philosophy, and what keeps him inspired after all these years.A Career in HarmonyQ: What is your current job title?D. Heid:… read more about Celebrating 30 Years of Music and Mentorship: An Interview with David Heid »
Scott Lee (Ph.D. 2018) has been awarded Second Prize in the 2024/2025 Jâca Emerging Composers Competition for “Evasive Maneuvers,” written for clarinet and guitar.Jâca is the award-winning duo of Wesley Ferreira and Jaxon Williams. “I’m honored to be awarded in the competition, but I’m most excited that I’ll get to work with Wesley and Jaxon in a performance of the work,” said Lee. “They’ll be only the second duo to perform it, so I hope this will lead to broader exposure for the piece.”Originally written for Silviu Ciulei… read more about Scott Lee (Ph.D. 2018) Wins Jâca Emerging Composers Prize for Clarinet and Guitar Piece »
Bradley Simmons, director of the Duke Djembe and Afro-Cuban Ensembles, passed away on May 22, 2025. Since 1998, Simmons taught West African and Afro-Cuban music at Duke, using instructional methods steeped in a rich oral tradition passed down through generations of musicians. “We are deeply saddened,” said Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, chair of the department of Music. “Bradley’s extraordinary passion, rhythmic brilliance and generous spirit left an indelible mark on generations of students and on our department.… read more about In Memoriam: Bradley Simmons (November 14, 1951 – May 22, 2025) »
For many people, the to-do list, the calendar, the overscheduled busy-ness of life can be overwhelming. There are some ways to tune out all that, and one musician found that improvising — playing with others without sheet music or a conductor — helped her be fully in the moment.Here & Now's Scott Tong speaks to Nina Moske, who is a flutist and recent graduate of Duke University, about how playing improvisational music has helped her escape the clock. She wrote about it in the Washington Post.This segment… read more about Duke Music Alum Finds Focus Through Musical Improvisation »
The following is a partial list of national, university, school and departmental awards presented to the members of the Class of 2025. In some awards where there are multiple winners, only members of the Class of 2025 are included. read more about Department Honors and Laurels for the Class of 2025 »
The arts play an important part of the Duke student educational experience, providing exceptional performing opportunities. The benefits extend to the wider community outside of Duke, from the many community members who are entertained by the students’ concerts, plays, dances, films and exhibits.Some of these young artists are heading into career in the arts; most will head into other fields. But all student artists will carry the memories of the art they did at Duke for the rest of their lives.Below are snapshots of a few… read more about The Class of 2025’s Got Talent »
Ten exceptional faculty members received the prestigious Bass Chairs, marking their induction into the Bass Society of Fellows. This honor recognizes their contributions to undergraduate teaching and research.The newly named chairs were celebrated during a reception at the Washington Duke Inn, where President Vincent Price, Provost Alec Gallimore and Vice Provost Candis Watts Smith offered remarks. They reflected on the qualities that define Bass Fellows, congratulated the new chairs, and expressed gratitude to the Bass… read more about Six Trinity Faculty Named 2025 Bass Chairs »
The Ciompi Quartet’s spring break was both exciting and action-packed. Less than 24 hours after landing in Shanghai, we performed our first concert at the China Europe International Business School. Alongside works by Schubert and Beethoven, we premiered “Encounters,” a piece based on the Chinese folk tune 兰花花 (Lan Hua Hua), commissioned by composer Maximiliano Amici. Amici, who earned his PhD in composition from Duke, now serves as an Assistant Professor at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). We also… read more about Ciompi Quartet Reflections: Spring Break in China »
The acclaimed Orange Road Quartet joined Duke for a weekend of enriching string quartet workshops and an exhilarating evening concert. Duke University’s Music Graduate Student Association (MGSA), in collaboration with Music Composition Ph.D. student Erich Barganier, proudly hosted the acclaimed Orange Road Quartet for a weekend of enriching string quartet workshops and an exhilarating evening concert featuring brand-new compositions by the university's music composition students.… read more about Duke Welcomes Orange Road Quartet for Groundbreaking Workshop and Concert Event »
During the spring semester, the Duke Chorale embarked on its Spring Break Tour to Charleston, SC, and Davidson, NC. The tour was filled with meaningful experiences, including three concerts that raised thousands of dollars for local charities. The Chorale also had the opportunity to learn from leaders at Mother Emanuel AMEC in Charleston, including teachings from their music director and a history lesson from the church historian. The Chorale would like to thank Duke Arts for their generous funding of this tour.Read… read more about Student Reflections from the Spring 2025 Duke Chorale Tour »
For over 35 years, the Benenson Awards in the Arts has provided Duke undergraduates with funding to pursue summer arts training, research, or projects. But what happens after the grant? How does that experience shape an individual’s creative journey years down the line? We reached out to four Duke alums who received Benenson Awards to hear where they are today. From launching professional opportunities to shaping new creative directions, their stories reveal the lasting impact of this grant on their professional and… read more about From Grant to Growth: Duke Music Alum Reflects on Benenson Award »
Last year, Maya Kronfeld had the satisfaction of seeing Nicole Zuraitis’ How Love Begins, on which she played keyboards, win a GRAMMY Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album.Fast forward to Sunday night and the 2025 GRAMMY Awards. Once again, an album featuring Kronfeld as keyboardist – Taylor Eigsti’s Plot Armor – won for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. The recording also features jazz icons Terence Blanchard, Lisa Fischer and many others. Participating in two GRAMMY-winning albums in as many years is… read more about Literature Professor Has the Grammy Magic for Second Year in a Row »
In early December with the fall semester coming to an end, two students — Ryan Henderson, and Margo O’Meara — showed up for Bradley Simmons’ djembe class at the Mary Duke Biddle Music Building on East Campus.O’Meara, a senior psychology major from St. Louis, is playing the goblet-shaped djembe drum, and Henderson, a senior physics major from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is playing accompaniment on the dundun and sangban drums.For a little more than three decades, Simmons has taught classes in West African and Afro-Cuban music… read more about The Meaningful Sounds of the Djembe Drum »
For the first time ever, the Duke Wind Symphony and the Duke Opera Theater join forces and present “Shining Night, O Night of Love,” an innovative multi-sensory collaboration featuring many of the greatest and most popular operas ever written.Conducted by Wind Symphony Conductor Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, the ensemble will perform selections from “Carmen”, “The Magic Flute”, “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Tales of Hoffman”, “La Traviata” and others. This semi-staged event, which will be sung entirely in English, will… read more about Shining Night, O Night of Love: Duke Wind Symphony & Duke Opera Theater »
“People who take chances are usually more successful than those who play it safe.”“Do you want to hear how I crashed in front of an 80-piece orchestra and 120-voice choir?”So began Allan Friedman’s story of failure.The lecturing fellow of Music got his undergraduate degree at Duke, and while he was working on his doctorate in conducting, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant choir conductor. The choir’s director offered Friedman the opportunity to lead a 250-person orchestra in Duke Chapel… read more about Freedom to Fail: Turning Public Humiliation Into a Teaching Moment »
We are pleased to announce that Jimmy Gilmore and Elizabeth Beilman have been awarded the Raleigh Medal of Arts for Creative Leadership for 2024. This honor, the highest given by the city of Raleigh, recognizes their significant contributions to the arts.Jimmy Gilmore, a Clarinet Professor at Duke University and retired Principal Clarinet of the North Carolina Symphony, and Elizabeth Beilman, a cellist and long-time member of the North Carolina Symphony, co-founded the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute (NCCMI) in 2014… read more about Gilmore and Beilman Awarded the Raleigh Medal of Arts for Creative Leadership for 2024 »
The Duke Community is still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene across our state. In this heartfelt tribute, Duke University Chorale performs "The Road Home" by Stephen Paulus in honor of the colleges and universities of western North Carolina.After watching the ongoing disaster unfold, the Duke Chorale sends this song to all of those impacted by tragic events across the region, including the sibling singers in the schools of Western North Carolina. Directed by… read more about A Duke Chorale Tribute to Western North Carolina Colleges »
Four faculty in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences were recently recognized by the Arts & Sciences Council for outstanding achievements in undergraduate teaching.Each year, the Council’s Committee on Undergraduate Teaching selects outstanding faculty members for their commitment to their students, for engaging them deeply in research and scholarship, for their continued development as innovative teachers and mentors, and more.Members of the council — in collaboration with the dean's office — … read more about Four Trinity Faculty Receive 2024 Undergraduate Teaching Awards »
The Institute for Citizens & Scholars has named 20 new Career Enhancement Fellows for the 2024–25 academic year, including Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies Anna Storti and Assistant Professor of Music Sophia Enriquez.The Career Enhancement Fellowship, funded by the Mellon Foundation and administered by Citizens & Scholars, seeks to increase the presence of outstanding junior faculty committed to campus diversity and innovative research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.… read more about Two Trinity Faculty Named 2024 Career Enhancement Fellows »
The Department of Music welcomes Colin Fullerton as the newest guitar instructor. Fullerton is an award-winning guitarist from Winston-Salem, NC whose work as a classical soloist has taken him across the US and Europe. Over the past eight years since completing his master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, he has established himself as one of the leading young guitarists in NYC, collaborating extensively across a variety of genres. Highlights have included solo recitals on the “Plucked Horizons,” “Odeon,” and… read more about Award-Winning Guitarist Joins Duke Music »
The summer of 2024 will be a summer of chamber music not to be forgotten when Ciompi Presents once again fills the chamber music niche with vibrant artistry. This three-concert series never fails to delight audiences when the musicians share the inspirational creativity of master composers. Nationally and internationally recognized guest artists join Ciompi musicians in these celebratory evenings filled with creativity, conviviality and superb artistry. Join us for Evocations… read more about Ciompi Presents 2024 Summer Chamber Music Series »