Department of Ethnomusicology celebrates 50th anniversary with year of special events

The UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology at the Herb Alpert School of Music will kick off its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration on Friday, May 14, with a 7 p.m. concert at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall featuring the department’s Music of India Ensemble and Music of Bali Ensemble. The event is part of the department’s Spring Festival of World Music and Jazz .

In conjunction with the anniversary , the department will offer a variety of performances, lectures and exhibitions throughout the year, many of which are free to the public. It will also host the Society for Ethnomusicology’s 55th annual meeting in November and a special alumni symposium for graduates of the department and the general public.

Since the founding of the Institute of Ethnomusicology at UCLA in 1960 by pioneering ethnomusicologist Mantle Hood, the campus has been a leader in the study and performance of musical cultures of the world. The first independent ethnomusicology department in the United States and the first program to award both undergraduate and graduate degrees in ethnomusicology, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology has produced more ethnomusicology graduates than any other program in the world.

Throughout its five decades, UCLA Ethnomusicology has been recognized as the world’s premier program as a result of its student and faculty achievements, its broad and innovative course offerings, and its training of faculty for other music programs.

Alumni have gone on to establish ethnomusicology programs at other American institutions, including Brown University, the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, as well as internationally, in countries such as Israel, Nigeria, the Philippines and Zambia. It was a UCLA Ethnomusicology graduate — Robert E. Brown, who earned his doctorate in 1964 — who is credited with coining the iconic phrase "world music."

The department is also home to the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive , one of the largest sound archives in the United States, with more than 100,000 audiovisual recordings.

For a history of ethnomusicology at UCLA and a complete listing of events, including performances, lectures, symposia and exhibitions, visit www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/celebrating50years .