Ronald Caltabiano, dean of the School of Music, announced Friday, Sept. 9 that he would step down from his role for personal reasons effective Friday, Sept. 16. Katherine Brucher, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of music, will serve as acting interim dean. (Photo courtesy of Marco Sanchez)School of Music Dean Ronald Caltabiano announced Friday, Sept. 9 that he would step down from his role for personal reasons effective Friday, Sept. 16.
“It is with great sadness that I step aside from my role as dean of the School of Music. It’s been an honor of a lifetime to work with such talented students, faculty and staff,” Caltabiano says. “I will forever be grateful to the extended DePaul community for helping us build state-of-the-art music facilities that truly showcase the talents of our faculty, staff and students, and are as impressive as any in the country housed on a college campus. I look forward to watching the school grow and thrive in the coming years.”
An internationally recognized composer and a dedicated instructor, Caltabiano joined DePaul in July 2016. During his tenure, he oversaw the school’s move into the state-of-the-art Holtschneider Performance Center and the Sasha and Eugene Jarvis Opera Hall. The buildings hug the eastern gateway of DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus. Today they serve as both centers of excellence where aspiring musicians can find their voice, and community centers where all are welcome to enjoy live performances.
Unveiled in 2018, the 185,000-square-foot Holtschneider Performance Center complex features state-of-the-art equipment, including video and audio recording in almost every space and rooms appropriate to specific ensembles including a jazz room. To celebrate the opening, the school held an ambitious 11-day festival of music, “Unveiled,” offering the community a taste of what would lie ahead in the four new performance halls with concerts from students, faculty, alumni and special guests from across the country.
Included in the complex is the Sasha and Eugene Jarvis Opera Hall, which opened in 2020. It is now a wholly redesigned and dedicated vocal rehearsal and performance space for recitals, concerts and opera productions. It is one of only a handful of dedicated opera halls on a college campus in the country.
Caltabiano expanded the school’s degree offerings by establishing a new track for the Bachelor of Science in Sound Recording Technology and adding a Bachelor of Science in Performing Arts Management, along with new performance degree concentrations in Harp and Collaborative Piano. These additions brought new students and faculty to the school and increased the number of degrees offered to 16.
In addition, he cultivated relationships with donors, raising nearly $25 million in funding for student scholarships and degree programs.
“I'm grateful for Dean Caltabiano’s contributions to DePaul," says Provost Salma Ghanem. “He successfully navigated the school through the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and helped oversee its move into the breathtaking Holtschneider Performance Center and the Sasha and Eugene Jarvis Opera Hall. He leaves the school in a position to continue to educate the world’s singers, performers, teachers, producers and more who are ready to take on the unique challenges of today’s society.”
Katherine Brucher, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of music, will serve as acting interim dean of the School of Music. (Photo courtesy of the School of Music)Following Caltabiano’s departure, Katherine Brucher, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of music, will serve as acting interim dean of the School of Music. A graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned her Ph.D. in musicology, and Brown University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music and English literature, Brucher joined DePaul in 2007.
Since joining the School of Music, Brucher has served as chair of the curriculum committee, director of the Bachelor of Arts in Music program, coordinator of World Music Activities, and chair of the Faculty Policies Committee among other duties. She’s also the incoming editor of “Ethnomusicology,” a peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Ethnomusicology.
“I would like to thank Provost Ghanem for appointing me to this role and thank Dean Caltabiano for his service to the School of Music,” Brucher says. “The School of Music is truly a community that I am happy to be part of, and I look forward to leading the School of Music as acting interim dean for the immediate future.”
Nominations for interim dean of the School of Music will be solicited next week. For those who accept the nomination, feedback will be requested from faculty and staff in the school. The university will share more information about the search for the school's next dean when it is available.