Dean Fred Bronstein, DMA—an accomplished pianist, dedicated music educator, and successful chief executive of American symphony orchestras—was appointed the first dean of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in 2014. Building on the Breakthrough, launched in fall 2024, is the third in a series of transformative strategic plans that have driven a remarkable period of growth and innovation during his tenure. Under his leadership, Peabody adopted a new curriculum that redefines the education model for aspiring artists, preparing them for 21st-century careers. The Conservatory has established new academic programs in Dance and Music for New Media, and this fall launches the first-ever Bachelor of Music in Hip Hop as an extension of its exponential growth in the areas of Music Engineering and Technology. He has led a dramatic increase in investments in financial aid—including meeting full need without loans for domestic undergraduates—and overseen record-setting growth in applications and enrollment. Under Bronstein’s leadership, Peabody has developed important programming and research at the intersection of the performing arts and health and opened the Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network Clinic for Performing Artists—the first of its kind on a music school campus. Bronstein has also been an advocate for equity and inclusion and has been outspoken in his belief that attracting new and diverse audiences is necessary to ensure a future for the performing arts industry. Prior to joining Peabody, Bronstein served as president of the St. Louis, Omaha, and Dallas Symphony Orchestras. As a performer, Bronstein toured for eight years and could be heard on New World Records as part of Aequalis, a chamber group he co-founded. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the State University of New York, Stony Brook.
