Saxton Rose

Dean of MusicSchool of Music

Saxton Rose has been Dean of the School of Music since 2020, and a member of the faculty at UNCSA since 2008. Throughout his time at UNCSA, Rose has been an active and important leader within the School of Music and the university at large, holding leadership positions within the music school’s strategic planning and curriculum revision task forces, with a particular focus on technology development; innovative approaches to ensemble training; and equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB) initiatives.

As dean, Rose serves as executive of all programs, operations and personnel in the School of Music, including all graduate, undergraduate and high school academic offerings. He leads and supervises more than 60 faculty and staff. As the artistic director of the School of Music, he directs the production of more than 200 performances and events annually, engages guest artists and curates all concert series. He also oversees the International Chamber Music Academy of Ochsenhausen, the A.J. Fletcher Opera and Chrysalis Chamber Music institutes that are part of the school.

Preparing young musicians for successful futures obliges us to think beyond the present. A conservatory should reflect the needs of the professional landscape not just now, but for the future. This includes embedding inclusivity into our programs as well as ensuring the health and wellness of our students, while maintaining the highest artistic standards.
Saxton Rose

One of America’s most recognized bassoon soloists and chamber musicians, Rose has performed in some of the most important concert halls and taught at the most prestigious universities and conservatories throughout the world and is a leading advocate for the performance and commissioning of works by living composers.

He is director of the nu ensemble, the School of Music’s contemporary music group. He is also a member of the acclaimed New York-based wind quintet Zéphyros Winds and is principal bassoonist with the Winston-Salem Symphony.