In the past 25+ years, Dr. Bill 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.
Karen Zorn has been President of Longy School of Music of Bard College since 2007. A fearless educational entrepreneur, she has balanced the budget, boosted enrollment, executed a merger with Bard College and established partnerships with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and El Sistema to launch innovative programs of study and community engagement. Zorn has spearheaded Longy’s transformation of the traditional conservatory model to one which emphasizes a curriculum creating globally-conscious artists: a mission of social change through the instruction, study, and practice of music.
