Department Head Position in Ethnomusicology Assumed by Professor Mark Kligman
Professor Mark Kligman, a renowned scholar in the field of Jewish musicology, has recently been appointed as the chair of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music's Department of Ethnomusicology, effective from July 1, 2018.
Kligman, who has been the director of Graduate Studies in Musicology for the past two years, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role. He holds a Ph.D. in musicology with an emphasis in ethnomusicology from New York University, as well as a M.A. in urban ethnomusicology from the same institution.
As a professor of ethnomusicology and musicology, Kligman's research focus has been on Jewish Middle Eastern liturgical traditions, with a particular emphasis on the integration of maqam—a system of melodic modes used in Middle Eastern music—within Jewish liturgy and ritual. This work has been evidenced by his key publication, Maqam and Liturgy: Ritual, Music, and Aesthetics of Syrian Jews in Brooklyn (2009), which explores the distinctive musical and religious practices of Middle Eastern Jewish communities.
Kligman's scholarship is widely cited as an authority on Jewish musical traditions connected to Middle Eastern Jewish communities, and he is frequently referenced in academic and cultural discussions related to Jewish musicology and liturgy. While specific awards Kligman has received are not detailed in the available search results, his prominence is indicated by repeated references to his authoritative work in various contexts.
In addition to his academic work, Kligman serves on the school's Faculty Executive Committee and is a member of the Faculty Advisory committees of the Center for Musical Humanities and the Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies. He has also partnered with school of music departments and the UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies for various events.
As the inaugural holder of the Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music, Kligman supports research, organizes programs, and concerts in American Jewish Music through the Lowell Milken Fund for American Jewish Music. He has also sponsored symposia, lectures, and performances on various Jewish music topics, including the inaugural conference of the Lowell Milken Fund for American Jewish Music, which included the premiere of the new work David's Quilt composed by 15 composers.
One of Kligman's most notable events was the performance of Handel's Judas Maccabeaus at Wilshire Boulevard Temple in December 2015. Kligman's book Maqām and Liturgy: Ritual, Music and Aesthetics of Syrian Jews in Brooklyn received a 2009 Jordan Schnitzer Book Award Notable Selection.
Kligman will serve a three-year term as chair, and it is expected that his leadership will continue to shape and enrich the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA.
Kligman's extensive background in education-and-self-development and learning, primarily in the field of ethnomusicology, has been instrumental in his appointment as the chair of UCLA's Department of Ethnomusicology. His research focusing on Jewish Middle Eastern liturgical traditions, evident in his publication Maqam and Liturgy, demonstrates his commitment to furthering learnings in this area.
