The new dean of the School of Music not only knows her way around a french horn, but also a fencing saber.
“Ayden is an accomplish horn player, but she was also a fencer, I mean she really has a diverse background,” said DePauw University President, Dr. Mark McCoy.
Ayden Adler officially started as dean of the School of Music to replace McCoy who was named president of DePauw University on July 1st.
Adler received her Bachelor's degree from Princeton and her Master's from Juilliard and went on to earn two doctorates from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. While at Eastman she won a full-time commission as a horn player in the Rochester Philharmonic, a position she held for 10 years.
While at the Rochester Philharmonic, Adler began her career in education, teaching at her alma mater. After almost a decade Adler wanted to branch out and look at the bigger picture of music today. “I wanted to tackle some of the bigger questions about the future of classical music and the relevance of classic music in society,” said Adler.
Following her time at the the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Adler worked for a handful of other symphonies and orchestras. It was during this time that she caught the eye of McCoy who thought her professional experience would fit well with the 21st Century Musician Initiative, 21CM. The initiative works to give music students skills that allow them to be more flexible in the changing music environment.
“She has a wealth of experience in the real world,” said McCoy, “So to bring someone with her experience, and not just her academic experience, but her experience in the real world, is great.”
Adler was excited by DePauw’s adjoined music and liberal arts colleges. “Because of my own liberal arts background, I really wanted to work at a school that not only had a top level music program but was part of a broader liberal arts environment, so that was why I decided to come to DePauw,” said Adler.
Even before students had arrived on campus, Adler was constantly in meetings developing plans for her time as dean of the School of Music. “She is so focused on her job, she is totally engulfed in her work,” said Amy Haug, director of human resources at DePauw.
Adler wants to keep working with the 21CM program to increase the success students have inside and outside of the classroom. “Creating student success that is not only about their own playing, but also about helping them understand how, as a musician, they can be incredibly impactful in their community, and that means helping students learn more about their community, learn more about where the challenges are and learn about how as musicians they can address some of their challenges,” said Adler.
In addition to working in the community, Adler wants to focus on having students develop skills that encompass everything about performing, from presentation to technology or speaking abilities. Adler also wants students to be able to arrange music as well as be able to play across multiple genres and styles.
Some School of Music students are hopeful Adler will bring the best out of their school. “Someone who cares about not only the coursework and the teachers, but also how the students are really doing is probably what we are going to be looking for,” said sophomore music student, Katrina Iorio.
In addition to her work with the school of music, Adler is looking forward to making sure she takes advantage of a liberal arts environment and wants to collaborate with the College of Liberal Arts. Adler has already planned an interdisciplinary festival that celebrates the music of Kurt Vile. The event called “Music Unwound,” will take place in January and February, and will include music from Cabaret, as well as discussions about how writers and musicians were connected during the early twentieth century.
“She has a really diverse background that embraces both the liberal arts and the music school,” said McCoy, “We couldn’t get a better home-run than that.”