Aaron A. Flagg Named Dean Of Hartt School, Begins 6/30

Aaron A. Flagg, who has been executive director of the Music Conservatory of Westchester since July 2005, has been named dean of The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Flagg, who has a dynamic career in performances, music administration and music education, will assume his new role on June 30, said University of Hartford President Walter Harrison and Provost Lynn Pasquerella in a joint statement.

"Dr. Flagg brings tremendous intelligence, charisma, and enthusiasm to the position. We are very excited to welcome one of the best known young leaders in the arts into the University of Hartford community," said Pasquerella.

Dr. Flagg is a professional trumpet player. His diverse performance experience includes concerto and recital performances, as well as orchestral and chamber music experiences. He received his undergraduate and master's degrees at Juilliard and his doctorate from the University of Michigan.

At the Conservatory, Flagg oversaw all aspects of this community school of the arts, including its individual and group instruction in music, musical theater, music therapy for all ages, arts-in education programs for area schools, summer programs, and the "Live on Central" concert series. He directed the school's strategic planning process, secured the largest donation in the school's history, and added innovative programs such as a Vocal Academy and Hip Hop ensemble. Flagg created fall and spring open house Conservatory events with tours, teaching demonstrations, and student performances to showcase the school's offerings to the community.

"I am honored to have been chosen to help lead The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. The history of excellence in music, the addition of Theatre and Dance Divisions, the strength of the Community Division, and the excitement around the Handel Performing Arts Center all create an incredible opportunity to brand a unique educational experience," Flagg said.

"This experience will prepare Hartt students to reflect a tradition of excellence and instill confidence in them about their future in the performing arts field. As we release this incredible potential inside Hartt, it is equally important to note that all University of Hartford students, its other schools and colleges and the community at large will benefit from this effort."

Prior to his years in Westchester, Dr. Flagg was on the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School and served as its director of education outreach. While there, he developed eight educational and community outreach programs, which included college fellowships in interactive performance and teaching, community engagement initiatives, and the Music Advancement Program, a celebrated Saturday instrumental music program that reaches underserved children ages 8 to 14 who demonstrate musical potential and need.

As a professional trumpet player, Dr. Flagg has given master classes and recitals at Jackson State University and Fayetteville State University, and given lectures at the Curtis Institute, Oberlin College, and Carnegie Hall. He previously held the position of Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut.

His jazz performances include the Illinois Jacquet Big Band, the Music Outreach Jazz Ensemble, and the Aaron Flagg Quartet. He has toured with the Tania Leon's Son Sonora Ensemble; recorded with Roberta Flack and operatic soprano Barbara Conrad; and performed with the New York Philharmonic, Manhattan Virtuosi, Lansing Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Illinois Jacquet Big Band, Wynton Marsalis, Gladys Knight, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, among others.

Dr. Flagg is currently a board member of the League of American Orchestras in New York and the Riverdale House Cooperative Corporation. He is also the chapter chair of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, New York Metro Area Region. He has served as a consultant to the University of Michigan, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, and the New York City Opera.

He received the Rising Star Award for Westchester's "Forty under Forty" in 2008, and the Martin Luther King Spirit Award from the University of Michigan. He was a national spokesman for the Music Educators National Conference in Virginia in 1999.

He has been a teaching artist for 15 years with organizations including the Lincoln Center Institute, Carnegie Hall Education, New York Philharmonic Education, Memphis Arts Council, Guggenheim Museum, and the New York City Opera. He has served as a consultant to major arts organizations and universities across the country.

He has been a panelist and presenter for the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, Bank of America Excellence in Orchestra Education, Mellon Foundation, Massachusetts Arts Council, the Joyce Foundation, Polyphonic.org, and the Center for Arts Education.

The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford that offers innovative degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. With more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, master classes, dance performances, and musical theatre productions a year, performance is central to Hartt's curriculum. For more information on The Hartt School, visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.

 

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