Daniel Neuman, professor of ethnomusicology, former dean of the School of the Arts and Architecture and former executive vice chancellor and provost, has been named the interim director of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music for the 2013-14 academic year.
Neuman is a renowned scholar in the field of ethnomusicology, especially in the musical traditions of India, and has authored and co-edited multiple books and numerous academic articles. He is a gifted sarangi instrumentalist and has engaged in continuous fieldwork in India since 1969. He was involved with the development of the World Music Navigator, a multimedia ethnographic guide of global music traditions.
Neuman was the director of the School of Music at the University of Washington from 1984-1994. After serving as the dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture from 1996-2002, Neuman became the executive vice chancellor and provost of UCLA in 2002. In 2007, he became the CEO and executive director of the New Center for Arts and Culture in Boston. He returned to UCLA in 2008.
"It is an honor to lead the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music on this interim basis," said Neuman. "The unique vision of our generous supporters Herb and Lani Hall Alpert to educate the whole student has led to the creation of ground-breaking programs and a new way of preparing students to be successful in music and in life after graduation."
Neuman holds a doctorate degree in anthropology from the University of Illinois. After teaching at the University of Washington School of Music for nearly a decade, Neuman joined the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology in 1994 as a visiting professor and was appointed as professor of ethnomusicology the following year. He is described by his students as passionate and immeasurably knowledgeable with profound enthusiasm for the subject matter.
