Brian Pertl Named New Director of the DU Lamont School of Music
DENVER, CO – The University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music is pleased to announce that Brian Pertl will join the institution as its new Director, beginning July 1, 2025. Pertl succeeds Dr. Keith Ward, who is retiring after seven years of dedicated leadership at Lamont.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Lamont School of Music as its new Director,” said Pertl. “As a friend and colleague of Keith Ward, I have been admiring the school for many years. It is an honor to carry on Keith’s remarkable legacy. I am so impressed by the University of Denver as a whole, and by the Lamont School of Music’s world class faculty, staff, students, facilities, and dedicated alumni and supporters. I am even more impressed by the uniquely beautiful culture you all have created. Your culture of belonging, wellbeing, creativity, collaboration, curiosity, civic engagement, empowerment, possibility, playfulness, and joy are the key elements for creating the radically responsive music school of the future. I believe that Lamont is poised to lead the way in redefining a world-class music education across this country and around the globe. I can’t wait to be a part of this grand adventure.”
A distinguished academic leader, ethnomusicologist, and didjeridu player, Pertl brings a wealth of experience to the Lamont community. He joins DU after serving for 17 years as the Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. During his time at Lawrence, the conservatory created a new BMA Degree in Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation and rolled out a non-auditioned BA Major in Music; it was recognized as the First Deep Listening Affiliate Institution in the world; it became a national leader in civic engagement and community collaborations; and the ensembles garnered over 40 national recognitions for excellence in performance from organizations such as DownBeat, The National Opera Association, The American Prize, and the American Choral Directors Association. Pertl also successfully raised funds for new faculty lines, the Presto touring program, and endowments to fund student projects, travel, and research.
Pertl is a graduate of Lawrence as well, where he earned a B.M. in trombone performance and a B.A in English. After receiving a Thomas Watson Fellowship, he traveled to Australia, Tibet, Nepal and India to study the use of harmonics in Australian Aboriginal didjeridu playing and Tibetan sacred chanting. He went on to complete his M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, before moving to Seattle to undertake his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Washington. Before completing his degree, he was offered a position as an ethnomusicologist at Microsoft. Pertl, along with a team of other ethnomusicologists, helped pioneer the use of music and sound in multi-media reference titles, by selecting, licensing, and captioning over a thousand music excerpts for Microsoft’s Encarta Encyclopedia, Encarta World Atlas, and Encarta Africana. For ten years, he managed the Media Acquisitions Group, Microsoft’s central resource for selecting, captioning, and licensing all forms of audio, images, and video.
Throughout his career, Pertl has been a driving force in reimagining the role of music schools in higher education. His book, Radically Responsive Music Schools: Leading Change Through Culture Building, is a philosophical reimagining of university-level music school culture from the ground up. It argues that holistic cultural change is the key factor needed for music schools to prepare 21st-century graduates for contemporary challenges. Under Pertl’s leadership, the Lawrence Conservatory of Music became known for its forward-thinking approach to music education, rooted in his philosophy of Deep Listening—a practice developed by composer Pauline Oliveros that emphasizes heightened awareness and inclusivity in musical engagement.
“Brian comes to Lamont after leading a nationally ranked conservatory for nearly two decades,” said Director Keith Ward. “He is creative and collaborative, a community builder and entrepreneur. Nationally, he is one of the prominent voices for our profession, soon to be President of the College Music Society. He will sustain Lamont’s excellence, take it to the next level, and lead it through these changing times with vision.”
“I am thrilled that Brian will be joining the CAHSS family on July 1 as the next Director of Lamont,” said Rachel Walsh, Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. "In addition to serving Lamont, I am confident he will make significant contributions to the CAHSS leadership community of Chairs and Directors. His unwavering commitment toward the development of the next generation of musicians clearly indicates that he is well-positioned to lead Lamont into the future. I'd be remiss if I did not express my deep appreciation for Keith Ward and his passionate and outstanding stewardship of the Lamont School of Music over the last seven years.”
Housed within the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Denver, the Lamont School of Music is one of the nation’s premier music programs, attracting gifted students from around the world. With a commitment to artistic excellence, scholarly innovation, and community engagement, Lamont continues to shape the future of music education.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Angela Mitchell
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Lamont School of Music
angela.r.mitchell@du.edu
303-871-6499
