The Art of Opportunity 

There are moments in a student’s education that leave a lasting mark – moments when world-class artistry, cultural exchange, and hands-on learning converge to reshape how
young musicians understand their craft. At the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, those moments are becoming a signature feature of the student experience thanks to the new Natalie L. Haslam Distinguished Artist/ Lecturer Residency Series, launched in 2025.

These residencies, made possible by the Haslam family’s generosity and shaped through faculty proposals, are designed to bring influential artists and scholars to campus for immersive, multi-day engagements that expose students to leaders who are redefining their fields.

“Our commitment as a college is to prepare students for the music economy of today and tomorrow,” said Jeff rey Pappas, Founding Dean of the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. “This residency series creates learning environments where students encounter artists and scholars at the top of their fi elds and explore what it truly means to build a life in music.”

Innovation in Action: Akropolis Reed Quintet

The inaugural residency in Spring 2025 featured the Akropolis Reed Quintet, a Grammy-winning ensemble whose boundarypushing approach to chamber music has earned worldwide acclaim. Now in their sixteenth season, Akropolis is celebrated for its bold programming, original commissions, and commitment to entrepreneurial artistry.

Their residency was brought to life through the leadership of Assistant Professor of Oboe Jaren Atherholt, who recognized the ensemble’s innovative spirit as a perfect match for UT’s educational goals.

“Akropolis embodies the creativity and adaptability we want our students to see fi rsthand,” Atherholt said. “They’re exceptional performers, but they’re also skilled teachers and entrepreneurs. That combination models a modern musical career in a way students can immediately connect with.”

For many UT students, Akropolis was unlike any group they had encountered before: a reed quintet committed to reinvention, entrepreneurial artistry, and the expansion of contemporary repertoire. But what stood out most was not their accolades – it was the access students had to the musicians themselves. In practice rooms and in the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, students watched the ensemble negotiate balance, reimagine phrases, debate artistic choices, and navigate the realities of being a self-managed, nonprofit chamber group.

The residency culminated in a public performance featuring a world premiere by UT composer Ryan Lindveit, connecting the ensemble with the College’s compositional community and giving students a frontrow seat to the collaborative process of commissioning, preparing, and performing new music.

“Residencies like this weave together the intellectual, creative, and professional dimensions of being a musician,” said Nathan Fleshner, associate dean for research and facilities. “Students aren’t just learning from these artists – they’re learning with them.

A Global Lens: Ramzi Aburedwan & Dal’Ouna Ensemble

In Fall 2025, the College welcomed its second artist-in-residence: renowned performer, composer, and conductor Ramzi Aburedwan. Aburedwan’s residency added an entirely diff erent dimension to the students’ learning experience. His work, chronicled in Sandy Tolan’s Children of the Stone, embodies the power of music to build community and bridge cultures. Through workshops on Middle Eastern performance practice, discussions on music and culture, and a public lecture on music as dialogue, students encountered an artistic tradition that expanded their understanding of global musicianship.

This residency took shape through the combined eff orts of Professors Hillary Herndon (viola), Rachel Golden (musicology), and Negar Rostami (musicology), whose interdisciplinary collaboration crafted a multifaceted experience that connected performance, history, and cultural dialogue.

The residency culminated in a collaborative performance featuring the Dal’Ouna Ensemble, whose blend of Levantine, Egyptian, Andalusian, and jazz influences created a sonic world that students described as “completely eye-opening.”

For many, the chance to share a stage with musicians performing on oud, bouzuk, and traditional percussion instruments was an experience unlike any they had ever had in their musical training.

“These opportunities broaden students’ worldviews,” Fleshner said. “ These opportunities remind students that music is not just something they do – it’s something that connects people across time, culture, and lived experience.”

A Legacy Taking Shape

What unifies these residencies despite their stylistic differences is the way they prepare students to be adaptable and collaborative contributors to the modern arts landscape. And that impact is inseparable from the faculty who curate, develop, and shape each residency’s educational design.

As the Residency Series matures, the College will continue inviting artists and scholars who challenge, inspire, and expand student experiences. Guided by faculty imagination, the series is quickly becoming a defining hallmark of the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. 

“Every residency adds something new to the fabric of our College,” Pappas said. “They challenge our students, enrich our community, and reflect the vision and generosity of Natalie L. Haslam and her family, along with the creativity and dedication of our faculty.” 

For students, these residencies are the moments they will look back on the moments when their world expanded, when new possibilities opened, and when the future of music felt within reach. And that is precisely the legacy this series aims to build.