<link>/</link> <description/> <language>en</language> <item> <title>John Petrucelli Named 鶹Ƶ’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History /news/john-petrucelli-named-oberlins-first-postdoctoral-fellow-jazz-history <span>John Petrucelli Named 鶹Ƶ’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-23T16:48:19-04:00" title="Thursday, June 23, 2022 - 16:48">Thu, 06/23/2022 - 16:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The position was made possible by James and Susan Neumann, whose <a href="/news/16m-gift-supports-endowed-fellowship-jazz-history-oberlin-conservatory">recent $1.6 million gift</a> to the conservatory supports the endowment of the fellowship in jazz history. The Neumanns’ generosity also provided for the 2011 gift of an <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/libraries/conservatory-library/special-collections/collections/the-james-r-and-susan-neumann-jazz-collection/about-the-collection">extensive collection</a> of more than 100,000 recordings, books, posters, and other artifacts chronicling the history of jazz.</p> <p>Beginning with Petrucelli, each postdoctoral fellow will be hired for a two-year term to teach courses on specialized topics in jazz history and prepare research involving 鶹Ƶ students. The conservatory’s expansive archival materials, including those provided by the Neumanns, will play an integral role in both coursework and research.</p> <p>Petrucelli arrives after serving as visiting director of jazz at the University of Utah. At 鶹Ƶ, he will interact with students interested in jazz and contemporary American music.</p> <p>“鶹Ƶ is fortunate to have John Petrucelli join us on campus,” says Deborah Campana, head of the Conservatory Library and chair of the search committee. “As someone fairly new to the college classroom, John impressed the committee by his devotion to the art of jazz performance. At the same time, it was also evident that he holds respect for its history and impact on society. His ability to share this wisdom and enthusiasm while engaging with the resources provided in our special collections will benefit our entire community.”</p> <p>Petrucelli earned master’s degrees in jazz studies from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and in jazz history and research from Rutgers University-Newark, followed by a PhD in music from the University of Pittsburgh. He holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. In 2019, he was honored by the Jazz Education Network for outstanding contributions to jazz education.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s interests span the history of jazz. He has performed with and learned from a long list of luminaries including Geri Allen, Charles Tolliver, Terence Blanchard, and <a href="/node/314401">late 鶹Ƶ alumnus Stanley Cowell ’62</a>, his mentor at Rutgers. His research interests include the music of underrepresented saxophonists, and he hopes to complete a book on one of them, Clifford Jordan, during his fellowship.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s three recordings to date reveal his devotion to the jazz tradition as well as his penchant for exploring realms of contemporary classical and new music, and seeking points of intersection between the varied musical languages. He continues to perform with duos and ensembles of various sizes.</p> <p>“I feel as though I'm coming to 鶹Ƶ with a blank slate,” says Petrucelli. “What is most intriguing about this opportunity is the ability to collaborate with world-class faculty across the college and conservatory while pursuing new avenues in my research, pedagogy, and performance practice that will be inspired through the Neumann Collection. I’m hoping to make the most of the these two years and to contribute as much as I can to the 鶹Ƶ community.”</p> <p>The endowment of 鶹Ƶ’s jazz history postdoctoral fellowship coincides with news of a newly developed <a href="/node/387996">minor in African American music</a>, created in tandem with the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences. In spring, the conservatory appointed musicologist <a href="/node/319121">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a> to a <a href="/node/413236">new tenure-track faculty position</a> in African American and African diasporic music.</p> <hr> <p><em>鶹Ƶ Conservatory’s newly endowed postdoctoral fellowship in jazz history continues the institution’s ongoing efforts to expand curricular diversity and support inclusion. Learn more about 鶹Ƶ's commitment in the <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the conservatory’s <a href="/node/306446">Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Educator and performer to teach courses and guide student research.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-06-27T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/27/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="/john-petrucelli">John Petrucelli</a>, a jazz saxophonist, composer, scholar, and educator, has been named the first James R. '58 and Susan Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow of Jazz History at 鶹Ƶ Conservatory, a two-year appointment that begins in fall 2022.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3450">Conservatory Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3448">Conservatory Special Collections</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of John Petrucelli</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/john_petrucelli_2022_courtesy_of_john_petrucelli_for_web.jpeg?itok=XaiNZho0" width="760" height="570" alt="John Petrucelli."> </div> Thu, 23 Jun 2022 20:48:19 +0000 eburnett 414081 at $1.6M Gift Supports Endowed Fellowship in Jazz History at 鶹Ƶ Conservatory /news/16m-gift-supports-endowed-fellowship-jazz-history-oberlin-conservatory <span>$1.6M Gift Supports Endowed Fellowship in Jazz History at 鶹Ƶ Conservatory</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-02-16T16:32:18-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 16, 2022 - 16:32">Wed, 02/16/2022 - 16:32</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For more than a decade, the generosity of James R. and Susan Neumann has led to incomparable opportunities for 鶹Ƶ students to study the history of jazz. Now a new gift from the Neumanns will offer additional paths to explore the quintessentially American art form.</p> <p>The Neumanns, who in 2011 gifted to 鶹Ƶ an <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/libraries/conservatory-library/special-collections/collections/the-james-r-and-susan-neumann-jazz-collection/about-the-collection">extensive collection</a> of more than 100,000 recordings, books, posters, and other artifacts chronicling the history of jazz, have donated $1.6 million to establish a fund supporting the creation of an endowed conservatory faculty position in jazz history. An allocation of $100,000 of the overall gift will support the Neumann Jazz Collection.</p> <p>The newly endowed fund makes possible the creation of a postdoctoral fellowship. Each fellow will be appointed for a two-year period on an ongoing basis, and will teach two courses on specialized topics in jazz history. Those courses will draw upon the conservatory’s expansive archival materials provided by the Neumanns and others. In addition, each fellow will pursue individual research, which will involve 鶹Ƶ students.</p> <p>“I’m delighted that, through this generous gift, we will be able to expand our offerings in jazz history in such a meaningful and enduring way,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>.</p> <p>“Increasing the number of academic courses dedicated to jazz history has been an interest of numerous members of our community here at 鶹Ƶ—and a particular interest of mine—and I’m thrilled that we are able to achieve such a goal through the addition of bright new faculty members. The generous, longtime support of Jim and Susan Neumann has been instrumental to the development of the unrivaled opportunities for jazz study that exist at 鶹Ƶ.”</p> <p>The endowment of 鶹Ƶ’s jazz history faculty position coincides with news of a newly developed <a href="/node/387996">minor course of study in African American music</a> created in tandem with the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences. Later this spring, the conservatory will appoint a new tenure-track faculty member in African American and African diasporic music.</p> <p>“The gift provided by Jim and Susan Neumann marks a new era for the appreciation of jazz at 鶹Ƶ and ultimately beyond,” says <a href="/node/29976">Deborah Campana</a>, head of the Conservatory Library—which houses the conservatory's <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/collections/special-collections">Special Collections</a>—and director of the Division of Musicology. “The Conservatory Library is grateful for the generous support of the collection itself. At the same time, we look forward to working with a new colleague who will inspire students’ thinking about jazz as they navigate the rich resources represented in this unparalleled collection.”</p> <p>A lifelong jazz enthusiast, James Neumann promoted jazz concerts at 鶹Ƶ as a student in the mid-1950s. He has maintained close ties to his alma mater in the decades since his graduation.</p> <p>“It is fortuitous that this gift is going to the school where I graduated from,” he said in January from his home in suburban Chicago. “It is a wonderful way to come full circle, just an incredible&nbsp;piece of good fortune for me, and I hope for 鶹Ƶ too."</p> <hr> <p><em>鶹Ƶ Conservatory’s newly endowed faculty position in jazz history continues the institution’s ongoing efforts to expand curricular diversity and support inclusion. Learn more about 鶹Ƶ's commitment in the <a href="/node/410371">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/racial-equity-diversity-action-plan">conservatory’s Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">New role made possible by James R. ’58 and Susan Neumann.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-02-16T12:00:00Z">Wed, 02/16/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3448">Conservatory Special Collections</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3346">Advancement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3450">Conservatory Library</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-quillen" hreflang="und">William Quillen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The James R. and Susan Neumann Jazz Collection at 鶹Ƶ consists of more than 100,000 recordings spanning the complete history of jazz.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">James R. and Susan Neumann Jazz Collection</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/jazz_albums_resized.jpg?itok=3iDoM2-5" width="760" height="570" alt="Collage of jazz album covers."> </div> Wed, 16 Feb 2022 21:32:18 +0000 eburnett 390601 at