Music School Faculty Honored as Notable Professors
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is proud to announce the promotion of two of its esteemed faculty members, Peter Kazaras and Ian Krouse, to the rank of Distinguished Professor. This prestigious title recognises their outstanding contributions to their respective fields and the university.
Peter Kazaras is a celebrated opera conductor, director, and vocal coach, known for his deep expertise in opera performance and coaching. At UCLA, he has been instrumental in shaping the opera program, mentoring students, and leading productions that have earned critical acclaim. His promotion to Distinguished Professor honours his artistic achievements, leadership, and impact on students and the broader music community.
Beyond UCLA, Kazaras has directed, supervised, or produced nearly 40 productions for major professional companies, including the Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera. He has also appeared in many of the world's leading opera houses and sung in lauded premieres of new works by preeminent American composers.
As the director of Opera UCLA, Kazaras continues to lead and inspire the next generation of opera artists.
Ian Krouse is a respected composer, performer, and educator, specializing in guitar and composition. He has an active career as a composer, with works performed by notable ensembles in various prestigious venues. As a faculty member at UCLA, Krouse has been pivotal in nurturing creative talent and advancing the school’s composition and guitar programs.
Krouse's specific field within the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is composition. In April 2015, his Armenian Requiem, a 100-minute work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, premiered to great acclaim and was commercially recorded on the Naxos label.
Krouse is not only a renowned composer but also a respected academic, having served as chair of the department of music and as an inaugural academic associate dean at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music during his career at UCLA. Currently, he serves as co-division chair and professor of composition at the school.
The exceptional creativity, gifted teaching, and outstanding service of Professors Kazaras and Krouse have influenced generations of UCLA students, inspired colleagues, and enriched their musical fields as well as our broader culture. The Herb Alpert School of Music looks forward to the continued contributions and leadership of these distinguished professors.
Kazaras and Krouse join Vladimir Chernov, Juliana Gondek, and Ray Knapp, who are also current holders of the Distinguished Professor rank at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The school is honoured to count these exceptional faculty members among its musical community.
The Distinguished Professor rank is UCLA's highest faculty rank, reserved for those who are pre-eminent authorities in their fields. The promotion of Kazaras and Krouse underscores their influence in shaping the future of music at UCLA and beyond.
- Peter Kazaras' promotion to Distinguished Professor highlights his significant impact on the opera program at UCLA, where he has been instrumental in nurturing students and leading productions that have earned critical acclaim, as well as his notable achievements in the broader music community.
- Ian Krouse's elevation to Distinguished Professor recognizes his exceptional creativity, gifted teaching, and outstanding service at UCLA, where he has been pivotal in nurturing creative talent and advancing the school’s composition and guitar programs, and has also gained renown as a respected academic and accomplished composer.
