Arts Directory

About

Tayloe Harding, is Dean of the School of Music and Ira McKissick Koger Professor of the Arts at the University of South Carolina where he recently served as Executive Vice-President of Academic Affairs/Provost, Interim for 2019-20. A passionate advocate for advancing the impact of higher education music on American communities, he is devoted to organizations whose missions are consistent with this ethos. As President of the College Music Society (2005-2006) and as President of their foundation, The CMS Fund (2009-2015), he helped create the Engagement & Outreach Initiative where efforts of the music professoriate are articulated with national partners to meet common musical and civic goals.

At Carolina he brought a bold idea to fruition: to more fully prepare tomorrow’s professional musicians by combining conventional professional music study with a systematic curricular and co-curricular exploration of music advocacy, music entrepreneurship, and community engagement by forming SPARK: Carolina’s Leadership Laboratory. His 2014 TedX talk “Music & Hope: Towards a More Musical America,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKZKGJflwyI, constitutes a public expression of his interests and work. A frequent presenter on futures issues for university music units and their leadership, he remains an active composer earning commissions, performances, and recordings around the world.