The Hartt School Names New Assistant Professor of Music & Performing Arts Management

The Hartt School of the University of Hartford is pleased to announce that Mehmet Dede will join its faculty as Assistant Professor of Music & Performing Arts Management, beginning in the 2016-17 academic year.

"I am excited to welcome Mehmet to our Hartt community," said T. Clark Saunders, Interim Dean of The Hartt School. "He is a wonderful addition to our faculty, and I look forward to having his energetic commitment to developing future music and performing arts industry leaders."

Dede is a seasoned art presenter, tour producer and educator. Throughout a career spanning 20 years, he has produced hundreds of concerts and event series, contributing to international music's growing presence in the U.S. and collaborations with seminal American institutions like Lincoln Center, Central Park SummerStage, the Town Hall and the Kennedy Center in DC.

As co-founder and curator of the NY Gypsy Festival, now in its 12the year, Dede is responsible for the overall vision and reputation of this grassroots festival. Since 2005, his experience in global music programming has facilitated regional and national tours for new artists, while his consulting expertise is often sought out by cultural organizations in France, Hungary, England, Poland and Romania.

Dede was instrumental in the re-launch of downtown music venue Drom, a 300 people-capacity club where he has served as Director of Programming since 2010. His curatorial vision established Drom as a key player in NYC nightlife, shaping the club into a dynamic and prestigious platform to showcase emerging talent. Wall St. Journal proclaimed Drom as "New York's premiere venue for world music.'"

The Hartt School also announces that Gabe Herman will, for the '16/'17 academic year, serve as Interim Chair of the Music & Performing Arts Management Programs. Herman has served as Assistant Director of Music Production and Technology at Hartt since 2009, and is an adjunct faculty member who also teaches courses in music and performing arts management. Interim Dean Saunders: "I am particularly grateful that Gabe Herman, someone who brings extraordinary skills, knowledge, and experience, has agreed to lead these important Hartt programs during an exciting time of transition. "