Dean's Greeting
AS I LOOK BACK ON MY FIRST YEAR AS DEAN of the Conservatory, I am astonished by the richness and variety I have encountered in every aspect of life in the Conservatory, both on and beyond campus.
Here at home there are hundreds of concerts, lectures, workshops and the like that are the outcome of the academic enterprise. It has been a delightful process of discovery for me to experience directly the remarkable achievements attained in every branch of the Conservatory's activity.
I have also enjoyed getting to know Conservatory alumni, both during alumni reunion and on a multitude of less formal occasions, and have traveled extensively to meet as many as possible, knowing that I would learn more about the Conservatory's past and about its future prospects from alumni than from any other source. I have been impressed on visits to virtually every corner of the country by the reach, influence and legacy of the Conservatory through the achievements and dedication to music and to learning by Oberlin alumni from the College and Conservatory alike.
I look forward to meeting many more alumni and friends of the Conservatory in the years to come and to welcoming them to campus on impromptu visits as well as formally programmed occasions. Those who visit campus in the next few months will be able to see two current projects underway: the installation of the new C. B. Fisk pipe organ in Finney Chapel, a majestic addition to our instrument inventory; and the completion of the second floor of the music library, making generally accessible for the first time the Conservatory's truly outstanding collection.
In closing, I would be remiss not to tell you that we have just completed one of the most successful admissions cycles in the history of the Conservatory and will welcome 154 ambitious and accomplished young musicians as new members of the Oberlin community in the fall. I am confident that this success reflects both the attributes of the Conservatory itself, and the unique benefits of its association with a great college of liberal arts and sciences, an association to cherish and to be proud of. It is a special privilege, indeed, to be at Oberlin.
Robert K. Dodson
Dean