Faculty Achievements

UT Music Professor Selected for Warsaw Wind Band Conducting Competition

Fuller Lyon, distinguished lecturer, assistant director of bands, and associate director of marching and athletic bands in the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, was selected to compete in the Warsaw Wind Band Conducting Competition at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Poland. The Warsaw Wind Band Conducting Competition is an incredible opportunity as it challenges conductors with a mix of classical masterworks and new compositions…
UT Percussion Ensemble Earns Prestigious Invitation to The Midwest Clinic

The Natalie L. Haslam College of Music is pleased to announce that the University of Tennessee Percussion Ensemble has been invited to perform at The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, Illinois this December. With more than 18,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 40 countries, The Midwest Clinic is…
UT Music Professors featured at Grand Teton Festival

Each summer, the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, brings together some of the finest classical musicians from around the world. Among the world-class artists performing at this year’s festival were two members of the University of Tennessee’s Natalie L. Haslam College of Music faculty: mezzo-soprano Renée Tatum, assistant professor of voice, and…
UT Music Professor Renee Tatum to headline Knoxville Opera’s “Carmen”

Renee Tatum, acclaimed mezzo-soprano and faculty member at the University of Tennessee’s Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, will take center stage in Knoxville Opera’s 2025–26 season opener, performing the title role in Bizet’s Carmen. The production, set to open this weekend (October 24 and 26), marks a major milestone in Tatum’s already distinguished career. …
UT Music Professor Leads Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in Bugs Bunny at the Symphony

James Fellenbaum, associate professor and director of orchestras at the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, was invited this summer to conduct at the Hollywood Bowl for Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. The Hollywood Bowl is one of the most iconic and prestigious outdoor music venues in the world, known for hosting legendary performers such…
UT Music Professor’s Albums Reach No. 1, Remain Strong on Amazon Latin Jazz Charts

The music of Juan Carlos “JC” Quintero, director of music business and communications in the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, continues to resonate with listeners worldwide. Two of his albums recently reached the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s Best Sellers list for Latin Jazz and remain strong on the charts. As of September 12,…
Professor Hillary Herndon Honored with UT’s Thomas Jefferson Prize

Hillary Herndon, professor of viola at the University of Tennessee Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Prize, one of the highest faculty honors bestowed by the university. Presented during last week’s Academic Honors Banquet, the Thomas Jefferson Prize recognizes tenured or tenure-track faculty members for…
UT Wind Ensemble Makes Historic Debut at National Conference

For the first time in the University of Tennessee Band Program’s 155-year history, the UT Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) National Conference on March 27 in Fort Worth, Texas. The UT Wind Ensemble is one of only seven performing groups selected to perform on a…
UT Music Professor’s Albums Chart on Amazon’s Best Sellers List

The music of Juan Carlos “JC” Quintero, director of music business and communications in the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, is making waves in the Latin Jazz world once again. His latest album, Desserts (2023), reached No. 1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list for Latin Jazz, with Table for Five (2021) following at No.…
Professor Hillary Herndon Appointed as Director of Sewanee Summer Music Festival

The University of Tennessee’s Natalie L. Haslam College of Music is proud to announce that Professor Hillary Herndon, professor of viola, has been appointed as the new director of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Herndon will assume the role following a successful tenure as the festival’s associate director from 2018 to 2024. The Sewanee Summer…