Robert Blocker has been reappointed as dean of the School of Music for a second five-year term, effective July 1, 2000.

In making this announcement, President Richard C. Levin noted Blocker's "commitment to excellence in all areas of the School" and commented that the Dean is held in high regard by members of the School of Music community because of his "wisdom, courtesy, and sensitivity."

"I was gratified," Levin added, "to find my own admiration for the Dean's work echoed so enthusiastically."

Blocker came to Yale in 1995 as the eighth dean of the 105-year-old School of Music. At the time of his appointment, he cited the need for cultural leadership and an educated citizenry in the arts communities. "It is essential," he stated, "for artists to be not only creators and re-creators of art, but also to be strong advocates to all publics." To this end, the Dean established a lecture series on cultural leadership, inviting arts leaders such as Tanglewood director Ellen Highsmith and Chicago Symphony president Henry Vogel. The first Cultural Leadership Citation was presented to Martin Goldsmith, distinguished commentator of National Public Radio.

Shortly after his appointment, Blocker outlined two primary long-term goals for the school: increased endowment for scholarships and programs, and the renovation of facilities. To undergird these plans, he orchestrated a development program that has already more than doubled the school's endowment, and major facility renovations are now in the early planning stage. Blocker has worked to strengthen ties between the school and the music department, the Yale campus, the New Haven community and the corporate sector. Among the most notable of these endeavors is the school's collaboration with New Haven's Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School.

During his first term, Blocker eliminated the school's operating deficit, established a Board of Visitors for the school comprised of distinguished individuals from throughout the world, reorganized a defunct student committee into a Music Student Council, and instituted regular "town meetings" for the students. He engaged the faculty in the development of a strategic plan that was the foundation for the school's reaccreditation report for the National Association of Schools of Music.

Blocker maintains an international career as a concert pianist. Last season, his engagements included concerto performances with the Prague Chamber orchestra, Monterrey [Mexico] Philharmonic, Beijing Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic, and the Yale Concert Band. He has garnered critical acclaim for his performances on the Yale campus and throughout the world.

The Dean is one of the nation's leading spokespersons on the arts and their relation to the business community, and is also active in professional associations and the community. He serves as chair of the Board of Visitors for the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. He is past president and a member of the Board of Regents for the national music honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda, and serves on the advisory boards for several arts institutions such as the Avery Fisher Artist Program and the chamber music Society Prize Committee at Lincoln Center. He is a member of the New Haven Symphony Board, the New Haven Business/Arts Alliance, and the Neighborhood Music School board of directors.

Blocker holds a bachelor's degree from Furman University and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of North Texas. His previous appointment was at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he served as the first dean and professor of the School of the Arts and Architecture and as adjunct professor of management. Among his many awards is South Carolina's Order of the Palmetto, the highest honor given to a civilian by the state.

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