Philip Dikeman will join the Blair faculty in the Fall as associate professor of flute. Dikeman attended the Oberlin College Conservatory and Yale University, and he has been a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra since 1992, serving most recently as acting principal flute. He has also held positions with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, and he performed as guest principal flute with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He has presented concerts and masterclasses throughout the United States and has also won first prize in both the National Flute Association‘s Young Artist and Orchestral Audition Competitions.
Bil Jackson will join the Blair School in the Fall as associate professor of clarinet. He is currently the principal clarinet of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and has held the same position with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He has been an artist-faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival since 1983, and has taught at the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Texas and Duquesne University. He has presented concerts and master classes throughout the United States, as well as in Japan, Australia and Mexico. He has also given the world premiere performances of clarinet concertos by Dan Welcher and Kevin Puts.
“I am especially gratified by the dedicated work of our faculty search committees who lent their erudition and high standards to the selection process for each of these extraordinary new faculty members,” said Mark Wait, dean of the Blair School. “These two new additions to the wind department will have long-ranging impact on the direction of music teaching and performing for the next generation of Blair graduates. We are entering a very exciting era for the Blair School.”