UNCSA Receives $10.1 Million Gift To Establish American Roots Music Institute

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts has received a lead gift of more than $10.1 million — the largest single gift in UNCSA history — from Winston-Salem residents Randall “Randy” and Kamalakshi “Kamu” Dishmon to establish the American Roots Music Institute in the School of Music.

When fully launched, UNCSA will offer a Bachelor of Music in American Roots, alongside a minor for undergraduates and opportunities for students in its high school. School of Music Dean Saxton Rose will consult with nationally recognized musicians including UNCSA alumnus, guitarist and American roots specialist Justin Poindexter (HS '01, BM '06); Martha Bassett, host of “The Martha Bassett Show”; fiddle and banjo virtuoso Rex McGee; and pedal steel guitar player DaShawn Hickman to begin designing the program, also drawing on additional perspectives from across the wide-ranging landscape of roots music. The first class of undergraduates in the American Roots Music Institute is expected to enroll in fall 2028, with a minor and high school offerings launching in fall 2026.

UNCSA Chancellor Brian Cole said the institute reflects both the university's mission and the state's legacy. “North Carolina is the cradle of American roots music, home to artists from Doc Watson to Libba Cotten to The Avett Brothers,” Cole said. “This gift will allow us to build a program that honors those traditions while preparing the next generation of artists to thrive in a competitive, evolving field.”

“In launching the American Roots Music Institute, UNCSA has a unique opportunity not only to honor North Carolina's legacy, but also to help define the future of this ever-evolving art form,” said Dean Rose. “By offering world-class, affordable training in the very place where these traditions were born, we look forward to cultivating the next generation of performers, educators and innovators who carry roots music forward with authenticity and imagination. This program reaffirms our commitment to preserving cultural heritage while embracing the creative possibilities that lie ahead — ensuring that these traditions remain vibrant, relevant and accessible for generations to come.”

Randy Dishmon, a retired global portfolio manager and lifelong bluegrass musician, and Kamu Dishmon, a retired pharmaceutical executive who grew up immersed in Indian classical music and art forms, both have a great love of American roots music. With their gift to establish the American Roots Music Institute at UNCSA, the Dishmons aim to elevate these art forms — often excluded from conservatory education — and provide young bluegrass and folk musicians the full benefits of conservatory training.

“It's time bluegrass and folk-oriented music receive the recognition and respect they deserve — as a true American art form,” said Randy Dishmon. “UNCSA happens to be located in the heart of this art form's origins and has a long history of respect for tradition with an eye to the future. It's the ideal home for aspiring artists in this genre.”

As a public conservatory in North Carolina, UNCSA is well placed to meet growing demand for formal training in American roots music. The institute will build on the state's roots music heritage, which dates to the 1700s, when Scots-Irish and African traditions fused to create Appalachian old-time music and where the banjo — brought from Africa — developed into a defining American instrument. Today, North Carolina offers access to a thriving roots music community, providing a network of mentorship that connects students to both tradition and contemporary practice. The state has produced countless legendary artists who shaped American roots music throughout the nation. For students seeking to study roots music in its authentic context, North Carolina provides a historically, culturally and practically resonant setting.

“As an artist and educator, I am thrilled about the launch of the American Roots Music Institute at UNCSA,” said singer/guitarist/songwriter Martha Bassett, who performs music ranging from Americana to jazz, folk to country gospel, and hosts “The Martha Bassett Show,” a monthly musical variety show featuring national, regional and local musicians. “This groundbreaking initiative will nurture exceptional musicianship and deepen cultural understanding by celebrating North Carolina's unique musical traditions,” she continued. “UNCSA is the perfect home for this kind of innovative, tradition-based training, and I look forward to seeing the profound influence it will have on both artists and our community.”

The Dishmons' gift comes as UNCSA prepares for a comprehensive campaign centered on transformational initiatives such as the American Roots Music Institute.

About the School of Music

The School of Music at UNCSA combines intensive individual study under artist-faculty with a variety of performance opportunities, presenting more than 200 recitals, concerts and opera productions each year, including collaborations with other UNCSA arts schools and a guest artist series. In addition to its undergraduate and graduate offerings, the School of Music is home to one of the nation's only four-year residential arts high schools. Alongside its instrumental and vocal programs, the school offers an undergraduate degree in composition, a minor in improvised music and jazz, and a graduate degree in composition for film and visual media. The School of Music is also home to the renowned A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, a tuition-free, graduate-level professional training ground for exceptional young vocalists. UNCSA alumni perform with the world's leading orchestras and opera houses and appear on international stages across a wide spectrum of genres.

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is celebrating 60 years as a top-ranked arts conservatory and America's first state-supported arts school. The nation's only public university with five arts disciplines on one campus, UNCSA prepares emerging artists for careers in dance, design and production, drama, filmmaking, and music at the undergraduate through post-graduate levels, as well as through a specialized high school with free tuition for in-state residents. UNCSA provides industry-leading instruction in an inclusive environment where students are encouraged to leverage the arts as a mechanism for change. Interdisciplinary opportunities arising from the unique arts ecosystem on campus at UNCSA prepare artists to enter an evolving global arts and entertainment industry. Established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, the School of the Arts opened in Winston-Salem (“The City of Arts and Innovation”) in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina System when it was formed in 1972. For more information, visit uncsa.edu.