B.M. (1978), M.M. (1980) University of Denver D.M.A. (1991) Columbia University 2234 Alice Pratt Brown Hall 713-348-4854 yekovr@rice.edu

ROBERT YEKOVICH, Dean of the School of Music at North Carolina School of the Arts, became Dean of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University July 21, 2003.

"We are extremely fortunate to have lured Bob Yekovich to Rice as dean of the Shepherd School," said Eugene Levy, provost of Rice. "Bob comes to Rice with an exceptional record of accomplishment in music and music-education leadership. I am confident that he will be able to bring the mix of inspiration and thoughtful guidance so essential to advancing the Shepherd School beyond its already manifestly high quality and distinction."

Yekovich, who will be the fifth dean of the music school, succeeds the late Michael Hammond, who left Rice to become chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. Anne Schnoebelen, the Joseph and Ida Kirkland Mullen Professor of Music, has served as interim dean since January 2002.

"I am extremely pleased that Dr. Yekovich will be the new dean of the Shepherd School of Music," said Schnoebelen. "He brings excellent credentials and experience to the position and will provide superb vision and leadership to our faculty and students."

Yekovich has served as the dean of the music school of the North Carolina School of the Arts at the University of North Carolina since 1991. During his tenure as dean, he helped establish the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, which has a $10 million endowment and has become one of the most prestigious graduate opera programs in the United States. He also conceptualized the plans for the school¹s new $10 million music building and concert hall.

Yekovich also assembled a distinguished faculty and is credited with increasing the annual merit scholarship allocations to over $500,000 from $15,000. Yekovich created two endowed professorships at the music school of the North Carolina School of the Arts, which is the first state-supported, residential arts conservatory.

A composer, Yekovich has served as the managing dean of "illuminations," a five-week summer arts festival on the Outer Banks at Manteo, N.C. for the past two years. He has also administered 11 consecutive European tours of the International Music Program¹s Festival Orchestra.

His recent honors include a commission from the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University. His works have been performed and broadcast throughout the United States and Brazil. Yekovich was president of the board for the League of Composers/International Society for Contemporary Music (New York chapter, 1989-92) and was executive director (1986-89). He serves on the board of directors of the Wellesley Composers Conference, Speculum Musicae and the New York Guild of Composers. He has taught at Columbia University, Connecticut College and the University of Denver.

Yekovich received his bachelor of music and master of arts degrees in composition from the University of Denver and his doctoral degree in composition from Columbia University.

"I think it is an incredible opportunity," he said of his new position. "The ingredients are there. There is wonderful potential for it to go even further. I look forward to collaborating with the faculty and staff to bring that about."

Yekovich said he is impressed by the focus of the music school and its faculty.

He plans to move the Shepherd School into its next phase by increasing the school's endowment, a key component to providing more scholarships. Yekovich said another priority is to address the school's long-range needs, such as building an annex to include more space for the opera program and music library and to add more practice rooms and office space.

Founded in 1975, the Shepherd School of Music is one of the nation's youngest major university level music programs and has become one of the most prominent music schools in the country.

With an elegant state of the art facility, the Shepherd School attracts an international student body of 302 music majors and 54 faculty members.