Robert Bailey Photo
Pianist Melvin Chen
Yale College alumnus Melvin Chen has been named deputy dean of the Yale School of Music, according to a Yale University news release, which indicates that he taught at the school “from 2000 to 2005.”
Robert Blocker, the school’s dean, was quoted in the news release as saying, “Melvin Chen’s longstanding relationship with Yale College and the School of Music, his international profile as an artist, and his successful tenure as associate dean at Bard College make him ideally suited for his work at the new deputy dean in the School of Music.”
As deputy dean, Chen succeeds Paul Hawkshaw, who’s vacating that position “to focus on the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival/Yale Summer School of Music, where he has served as director since 2003,” according to Yale’s news release.
Chen studied violin and piano at Yale while earning an undergraduate degree in physics and chemistry. He continued his violin and piano studies at the Juilliard School, where he got a master’s degree, and then earned a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard University.
Chen has made recordings of works by Shostakovich, Beethoven, and contemporary American composers Joan Tower and Ricky Ian Gordon, and he has performed with and alongside a host of acclaimed artists and ensembles.
According to his website, “Chen offers interdisciplinary lecture-recitals that explore the complicated relationship between music and science. Tailoring the material to the age and educational background of the audience, he has presented lectures on topics such as ‘Music and the Brain’ at high schools, colleges, and other institutions around the country. The presentations intersperse speaking, visual examples, and musical performance to create a unique educational experience.”