How Is Being A Musician In An Orchestra Similar To Leading A Higher Education Institution?

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Dr. Nancy Uscher, president of Cornish College of the Arts, in Seattle, Washington, sat down to talk with us about how her roles as a president and a musician have some key similarities. Dr. Uscher became president of Cornish in August 2011, becoming the 1st female president of the College since its founding in 1914.

Dr. Uscher holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, a master’s degree in music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a Ph.D. in music from New York University. She is also an Associate of the Royal College of Music in London, where she spent her junior year in college. Additionally, she spent two decades as a concert violist, performing and teaching around the world, including six years leading the viola section of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, before transitioning full-time into academe. She is also the author of dozens of articles and 2 books.