The Bass School of Music is introducing a new Resident Artist program this year designed to accentuate how visiting professionals engage with students on multiple levels beyond the common short-term masterclass model. The inaugural year features internationally acclaimed opera singer Sarah Coburn this fall and award-winning film and television composer Jay Wadley is set for the spring 2027 semester.
Overseen by Associate Dean and musicology professor Dr. Jake Johnson, the new program shifts the focus from brief appearances to sustained integration into the school’s overall academic programming.
Rather than a one-off performance or afternoon workshop, each appointed artist commits to spending two full weeks on campus every year for three consecutive years — one week in the fall semester and the other in the spring. The artists are listed on the official faculty roster and can add the title of Resident Artist with the Bass School of Music into their professional portfolios. The multi-year commitment allows student cohorts to build lasting relationships with industry leaders.
Johnson said their campus visits are structured to maximize impact across the entire student body through public-facing events like performances and lectures. There are also opportunities for other external events like special donor functions and high school recruitment efforts.
Geared for career readiness
The program is designed around strategic academic goals rather than simple availability. Every three years, administrators will select artists to strengthen expanding programs and address curricular needs to model the modern "multi-hyphenate" career path.
"We want artists whose professional experience complements, rather than replicates, what our current faculty offers," Johnosn explained. "This is about moving our curricular train down the road."
Rather than offering traditional classroom lectures, visiting artists introduce real-world industry standards and opportunities. Plans are also underway to offer direct internship pathways such as sending select students to work on location with resident artists between campus visits.
Inaugural cohort
For its inaugural year, the program is bringing back two distinguished alumni who represent top achievements in performance, composition and production.
Coburn is bringing a multifaceted perspective to campus this semester. Beyond her career on stages like the Metropolitan Opera, Coburn is a practicing psychotherapist specializing in performance anxiety and mental health tailored specifically for performers, an area rarely covered in traditional conservatory settings.
Coburn’s fall residency coincides with the main stage Opera Gala production Nov. 20-22. Having studied at the school under voice professor Larry Keller and stage director David Herendeen, her visit offers vocal students both technical guidance on classic repertoire and practical tools for managing high-pressure stage careers.
Wadley will bring a modern, industry-focused approach to music production in the spring 2027 semester. Founder of the Brooklyn-based Found Objects composer consortium that scores major media projects, Wadley models how modern composers operate in film, television and video games.
During his residency, Wadley will work directly with composition and production students on project-based assignments, remote score development and hands-on recording sessions. His involvement will also support efforts to upgrade campus recording facilities and attract external recording projects.
Looking to the future
While the inaugural launch focuses on performance and media scoring, the music school may expand the roster to have multiple resident artists serving at the same time.
Future appointments aim to include singer-songwriters and commercial producers focused on contemporary music production, songwriting, and music industry entrepreneurship.
“This would be more industry facing,” Johnson explained. “It’s more about production, more about songwriting, more forward-facing in getting into the industry now.”
By bringing active, multi-talented professionals onto campus for multi-year tenures, the Resident Artist program creates a unique environment where students learn how to master their craft and build sustainable careers in today's music industry.
