Doreen Ketchens Performing as Soloist with Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Doreen Ketchens' Performance of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in March 21, 2018

Master of Music in Jazz Studies approved as a new degree program

Among the recent changes to Hartt's programs of study is a new degree in jazz studies.  The Univeristy of Hartford recently approved the Master of Music in Jazz Studies.


Here is the program curriculum.

First Year

Semester 1 (12 credits) 

• HLM 615*: Pro-seminar in Music History (3 cr.)
• AXX 999: Instrumental/Vocal Lesson (2 cr.)
• ENS 502: Jazz Ensemble (1 cr.)
• AFR 602: Duke Ellington (3 cr.)
• AFR 623: 20th Century Jazz Analysis and History (3 cr.)

Semester 2 (10 credits)

• AXX 999: Instrumental/Vocal Lesson (2 cr.)
• ENS 503: Jazz Ensemble (1 cr.)
• AFR 603: Analysis of American Songbook (3 cr.)
• TH 645**: Graduate Ear Training (3 cr.)
• REC 671: Master's Recital (1 cr.)

Second Year

Semester 3 (10 Credits)

• AXX 999: Instrumental/Vocal Lesson (4 cr.)
• ENS 502: Jazz Ensemble (1 cr.)
• AFR 655: Graduate Jazz Arranging (2 cr.)
• TH XXX: Graduate Theory elective (3 cr.)

Semester 4 (9 credits)

• AXX 999: Instrumental/Vocal Lesson (4 cr.)
• ENS 503: Jazz Ensemble (1 cr.)
• AFR 657: Graduate Business Seminar (3 cr.)
• REC 672: Master's Recital (1 cr.)

2018 Hartt Alumni Award - Shane Shanahan

The Hartt School's Alumni Award Committee has selected Shane Shanahan as the 2018 award recipient.  Shane will receive the award at this year's commencement ceremony for Hartt undergraduates.  Congratulations, Shane! 

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Grammy Award winning percussionist Shane Shanahan has cultivated his own unique and highly sought after sound by combining his studies of drumming traditions from around the world with his background in jazz, rock and Western art music.   His interest in other cultures has lead to extended visits to Turkey, India, and Tajikistan, among others.  Shane’s rare set of diverse skills is what attracted Yo-Yo Ma when he was forming the Silk Road Ensemble.  In the summer of 2000, Shane was invited to Tanglewood where he played an important role in the formation of the group.  Ever since, he has been touring around the globe performing side-by-side with Mr. Ma as an original member of the award-winning Silk Road Ensemble.  Shane's playing can be heard on all four of the ensemble's top-selling recordings for the Sony/BMG label.  The most recent was nominated for a Grammy and two of them feature his arranging skills. These arrangements have brought ecstatic audience to their feet in the top concert halls of North America, Europe and Asia. Shane can also be seen and heard on Mr. Ma's CD/DVD release "Songs of Joy."

He is also a member of frame drum master Glen Velez' TaKaDiMi Ensemble and cellist Maya Beiser's Provenance Project.  He has performed and/or recorded with Bobby McFerrin, Aretha Frankin, Philip Glass, Alison Krause, Sonny Fortune, Deep Purple, Jordi Savall, Fantasia, Chaka Khan, G. E. Smith, Simon Shaheen, Jamey Haddad, Cyro Baptista, Anindo Chaterjee, Sandeep Das, Shahram Nazeri, Alim Qasimov, Kayhan Kalhor, Howard Levy and Steve Gorn, among others.

During the 2009-2010 season, Shane co-curated a 40 week concert series at The Museum of Natural History for the Traveling the Silk Road Exhibit.  He was also highly involved in The Bridge Project, a three-year trans-Atlantic partnership uniting The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Old Vic Theatre of London, and Neal Street Productions.  Shane was one of two featured musician in Shakespeare's "As You Like It" and "The Tempest," directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"/"Skyfall.")  After two months of performances in New York, the production commenced an extensive tour of Asia and Europe.  On Broadway, Shane has played for Caroline, Or Change, The Color Purple, Shrek, and Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark.