Michael Shinn (D.M.A., '10) Named Dean of Music at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Michael Shinn (D.M.A., '10), a performer, educator, arts advocate, and the cofounder of a music festival in Sonoma County, California, was named dean of music at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Shinn was previously the chair of keyboard studies at the Juilliard School in New York, where he also served an instructor of piano, chamber music, piano pedagogy, keyboard skills, and analysis for performers.
 
The Boston Conservatory merged with Berklee in 2016. Shinn will lead the Conservatory's music division and is the first dean to be appointed since the merger.
 
"Boston Conservatory at Berklee has such a long and rich tradition of artistic and educational excellence," Shinn said when the news was announced. "And it now sits atop a precipice of potential for innovation in the arts over the next 150 years."

At the Graduate Center, Shinn studied with Professor Raymond Erickson (GC/Queens, Music), who also served as his advisor, and Distinguished Professor Joseph Straus (Music).
 
"I absolutely loved my experience in the D.M.A. program at the Graduate Center," Shinn said. "The inspiring faculty members, impressive array of courses offered, and brilliant fellow students all contributed to a rich learning environment."

Throughout his career, Shinn has performed regularly as a recital pianist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and abroad. He is the cofounder and codirector of piano Sonoma, a festival that brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds, as well as artists in residence, for collaborations and performances in Sonoma County, California.

Shinn is also known as an arts entrepreneur and for his work developing online learning tools at Juilliard. He encourages current and prospective D.M.A. students to embrace all opportunities, at the GC and beyond.
 
"The atmosphere at the GC is supportive, encouraging, and most of all, engaging," he said. "Perform as much as you can, dedicate yourself to your studies, take as many diverse courses as possible, and gain some experience teaching as well."