Leadership

KAREN ZORN,
President, Longy School of Music of Bard College
Vice President, Bard College

There was one overwhelming reason Karen Zorn accepted the position of President of the Longy School of Music in 2007. The school’s newly adopted mission—“to prepare students to make a difference in the world”—was unlike that of any other conservatory in the world. The mission suggested a fundamentally different approach to music education. And it offered a radically different view of the kind of work that Longy students might seek, create, and engage in after graduation.

Fulfilling Longy’s mission
In pursuit of this mission, Zorn has led Longy through a dramatic transformation. A fearless educational entrepreneur, Zorn has established partnerships, programs, and initiatives that have permanently altered the school’s trajectory and positioned it as a leader in equitable music education.

She executed the pivotal merger with Bard College in 2012 and has since established numerous strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, FundaMusical of Venezuela (El Sistema), the Music for Healing and Transition Program, and countless Sistema-inspired programs across the country. Zorn cofounded Take a Stand, a collaboration between Longy, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Bard College, and launched the Master of Arts in Teaching degree program in Los Angeles—the first-ever degree program to be offered in conjunction with a major orchestra.

In 2013, she established the Longy Sistema Side-by-Side program on the school’s Cambridge campus, bringing high quality music education to hundreds of students from under-resourced communities throughout the northeast, and offering hands-on teaching and mentorship opportunities for conservatory musicians. Recognizing the immense impact of this program, Zorn expanded musical education opportunities at the school, opening a Master of Music in Music Education degree program in 2020.

Soon after assuming leadership of Longy, Zorn realized that preparing students to make a difference in the world would require a radically different kind of music education. During Zorn’s tenure at Longy, the school entirely redesigned its curriculum to ignite students’ agency, eschewing traditional requirements to offer practical tools for a variety of careers in music.

Longy has pioneered a new coaching program, empowering each student to create their own individualized path in school and beyond. In 2017, Longy launched the Music as a Healing Art program, which offers students the chance to bring their talent to a diverse array of hospitals, elder care facilities, and transitional housing centers. In 2019, under Zorn’s leadership, Longy spearheaded a multi-year Diversity in Repertoire initiative which requires at least 25% of all repertoire studied and performed at Longy to be written by composers of historically underrepresented identities in classical music. Longy implemented an overhaul of the undergraduate theory curriculum to decenter the Western white male frame. In 2021, Longy piloted the school’s first fully online Master of Music in Music Education degree, expanding access to culturally responsive music education globally.

To provide meaningful professional experience for Longy’s students, Zorn has helped Longy forge numerous partnerships with artistic organizations including A Far Cry, Boston Camerata, Boston Early Music Festival, Boston Opera Collaborative, Castle of Our Skins, Celebrity Series Boston, the Imagine Orchestra, and the New Gallery Concert Series, among many others. She has spearheaded numerous opportunities for Longy students to teach and perform in public schools, community centers, prisons, and other external venues where the traditions of music education can contribute to public life.

Zorn is an active teacher, guest speaker for keynote addresses, and frequent consultant for arts organizations and other non-profits on matters of creative artistry, curricular innovation, and leadership. She appears annually at the Verbier Festival, where she teaches courses on artistic innovation and audience engagement. She has taught of the Banff Artist Residency Program, Carnegie Hall, and has been a member of the faculties of Berklee, MacPhail Center for the Arts, and the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Zorn has held positions on the Boards of the Community Music Center of Boston, The Creativity Foundation, and the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy. In 2014, she was recognized Musical America’s Profiles in Courage.

Prior to her tenure at Longy, Zorn served as Associate Provost at Berklee College of Music, where she forged a global network of partnerships with organizations including the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, and the Sorbonne Université. She held the roles of Acting Director and Director of Instruction at MacPhail Center for the Arts in Minneapolis.

A Wisconsin native and Boston resident, Zorn is herself a classically trained musician, having been educated as a pianist at Goshen College in Indiana and later receiving a master’s degree in piano performance at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

photo of Dean Bose

JUDITH BOSE, Dean

Judith Bose comes to Longy having worked as an independent arts education consultant with decades of experience specializing in curriculum development and the intersection of cultural organizations, schools, teachers and teaching artists. She has worked with WolfBrown arts research firm on various projects, including the first ever evaluation of El Sistema-inspired programs in the U.S.; as Creative Education Director for the Vermont Community Engagement Lab; as Community Engagement Consultant with From the Top; and as a student in the Music for Healing and Transition ProgramTM (MHTP).

An active soprano in the Boston area, Dr. Bose previously served as the Director of Teacher Education and Educational Initiatives at Longy, where she helped to develop an innovative Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Music degree program and led the Teaching Artist Program. Dr. Bose has also taught Teaching Artistry on the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. In New York, she was a master music teaching artist at the Lincoln Center Institute and the New York Philharmonic for ten years, and she has worked with numerous schools and cultural organizations both nationally and internationally.

TYLER REECE, Acting Associate Dean of Enrollment and Student Life

Tyler Reece is Acting Associate Dean of Enrollment and Student Life, as well as Vocal Studies faculty at Longy. Originally from Aspen, Colorado, he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts from Luther College, then went on to earn his Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) on a full fellowship with a teaching assistantship. As a baritone, he is equally at home on the recital and opera stage, particularly focused on the intersection of gender, sexual identity, and the evolution of performance practices in classical vocal music.

REBECCA TEETERS, Assistant Dean of Curriculum Development and Innovation

Rebecca Teeters joined Longy in 2022 as the Director of Curriculum Development and Innovation and a year later was elevated to Assistant Dean. She is passionate about her work in higher education and guiding the next generation of music makers. Rebecca spent thirteen years in Student Services at New England Conservatory holding several roles, most recently Senior Associate Dean of Students. She also served on faculty at New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Rebecca has worked with various individuals, ensembles, organizations, and schools on career planning and has given master classes on arts leadership, grant writing, and stage make-up. She was a member of the Boston Opera Collaborative for five years and served as their Executive Director for two years.

An active soprano in the Boston area, Rebecca’s most notable roles include Sister Rose in the New England premiere of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking with Boston Opera Collaborative, Mimì in La Bohème, Susannah (title role), Micaëla in Carmen, First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, and Terentia in the world premiere of The Beautiful Bridegroom by Dan Shore. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and her Master of Music in vocal pedagogy from New England Conservatory.

photo of Ann Welch

ANN WELCH, Chief Operating Officer

Ann Welch joined Longy in 2013 and became Chief Operating Officer in 2016. Over her tenure, Ann has overseen Longy’s strategic plan, shaping curricular and programmatic innovation to transform conservatory education. In addition to developing and teaching Longy’s entrepreneurship program, Ann serves on the design teams for key initiatives. She has held several roles at Longy, including Director of Strategic Initiatives and Acting Chief Financial Officer. With oversight of the Operations team, Ann has functional responsibility for the business office, human resources, labor relations, facilities, and IT.

Ann’s career prioritized the arts and nonprofit sector for nearly twenty years. She served as Director of Development for the Austin Film Society (TX), and as an Executive Director at CCS, providing development consulting and capital campaign management to education, healthcare, and cultural nonprofits in New York and Georgia. Ann has an MBA from the Yale School of Management and BA from Vassar College.

photo of John Galvin

JOHN GALVIN, Chief Financial Officer

John started at Longy in the May of 2015 as the Director of Finance and in the following year was elevated to senior staff as the Chief Financial Officer. As a finance professional, John has 30 years of experience in both the corporate and higher education sectors. Prior to joining Longy, John served as a Finance Director at both Curry College and Boston College where his responsibilities were primarily focused on Financial Planning & Analysis, Payroll and Procurement. A native of Massachusetts, John holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Rochester and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University. John and his wife Susan are residents of Needham.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

JO FRANCES MEYER, Chair of the Board of Governors

Jo Frances Meyer joined Puddingstone Consulting and the Connors Family Office in November 2019 as a Director, working closely with Jack Connors and Sharon McNally on a number of strategic business and philanthropic projects. Prior to her current position, she served as Executive Director of Boston Landmarks Orchestra from 2015–2019. She served as Director of Development for Rockport Music from 2011–2014; Senior Development Associate for Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, working with Dr. Paula A. Johnson from 2008–2011. From 1999–2006, Meyer served as Director of Institutional Giving for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Prior to her 20-plus years in philanthropy, Meyer practiced law in the areas of health care law and policy at Mintz, Levin in Boston, and commercial litigation at Peabody & Brown (now Nixon Peabody LLP). A graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with a Master in Public Administration in 1994, Meyer also holds a law degree from Suffolk University Law School (1982) and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Boston University’s School of Public Communication (1976). In addition to serving on the Longy School of Music Board of Governors, Meyer also serves as a Trustee at the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, and as a member of the Board of Advisors for the American Repertory Theater, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, and Lyric Stage Company.

Dr. William C. Banfield

In the past 25+ years, Dr. Banfield has produced a body of productive music/ arts scholarship activities, books, compositions, recordings, establishing an active teaching, student and music/ lecture programming development, professional service and creative work, that contributes to contemporary arts leadership. Dr. Banfield was named Longy’s Senior Scholar in Residence in 2022. He has served as Professor of Africana Studies/Music and Society, founding director of the Center for Africana Studies/Liberal Arts and teaching in the dept. of composition and the graduate program Berklee College of Music, now retired (2005-2020). The college named him Professor Emeritus and founding director of Africana Studies/Center. He served as the Endowed Chair Humanities, Fine Arts, professor of Music, director of American Cultural Studies/Jazz, Popular, World Music Studies, University of St. Thomas, MN (1997-2005).  Banfield served as assistant professor, African American Studies/Music, Indiana University (1992-1997) where he developed the Undine Smith Moore Collection of Scores and Manuscripts of Black Composers.  A native Detroiter, he received his Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, a Master of Theological Studies from Boston University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of Michigan.

Wayman Chin

Wayman Chin joined Longy’s faculty in 1994. From 2008-2020, he served as Dean of the Conservatory and for 13 years, also served as Chair of the Chamber Music Program. In 2007, he was awarded Longy’s George Seaman Award for Excellence in the Art of Teaching. In 2020, he was named Dean Emeritus. Mr. Chin earned a Bachelor of Music degree with honors from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School and a Master of Music degree from Yale UniversityPianist Wayman Chin has performed widely throughout the United States, Asia, and the United Kingdom. Devoted to chamber music playing, Mr. Chin has collaborated with artists such as the Pacifica Quartet, Cassatt String Quartet, violinist Eric Rosenblith, violist Masumi Rostad, cellist Thomas Kraines, sopranos Nancy Armstrong and Maria Jette and baritone Thomas Meglioranza. For twelve seasons, he was a member of the artist faculty at the Yellow Barn Music School and Festival and ​for five years, performed and taught at the Stamford International Music Festival in England.   ​He also taught previously at UMass Dartmouth and on the Music Program faculty of the Winter Cycle at the Banff Centre in Canada.  

Longy Board FY24

GARTH GREIMANN, Vice Chair
DWIGHT “WIN” QUAYLE, Secretary

ROLAND AUGUSTINE
MARTHA BACIGALUPO
WILLIAM C. BANFIELD
+ LEON BOTSTEIN, President, Bard College
WAYMAN CHIN
GENE D. DAHMEN

HARRIET E. GRIESINGER
MICHAEL GULESERIAN
MATINA HORNER
VIRGINIA MEANY

MYRAN PARKER-BRASS
DONALD W. SCHROEDER

DEBORAH SMITH
ROBERT B. STRAUS
JEANNETTE H. TAYLOR
+ TAUN TOAY, Chief Financial Officer, Bard College
+ ANN WELCH, Chief Operating Officer, Longy School of Music of Bard College
+ KAREN ZORN, President, Longy School of Music of Bard College; Vice President, Bard College

(+ ex-officio)