This year's College of Fine Art's graduation ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 18 in Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall. A small reception on the plaza will follow. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of our 2025 graduating class. Q: Where and when does the ceremony take place? A: The Graduation…
Joe Svendsen, Director of Choral Studies, has received word that he is now a quarterfinalist for the 2026 GRAMMY Music Educator Award! Congratulations!
Dean Nancy Uscher was pleased to help adjudicate the recent Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards at The Smith Center. "I was grateful for the invitation," said Uscher. "The talent we saw and heard was very inspiring!" L to R: Nicole Pryor Dernersesian (President and CEO, Firestarter Entertainment), John Prignano (COO & Director of Education and Development, Music Theater…
Described as “alluring” and “stirring” by The New York Times, the “arresting” (Gramophone), “irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle), and “exhilarating” (Chicago Tribune) music of Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong (b. 1990) has been commissioned and performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles…
Diana Eden spent 30 years in Hollywood costume designing 14 prime time TV series, 16 pilots, movies for television, and feature films, before moving to Las Vegas in 2008. She has three Emmy nominations for best costume design for a TV series. In addition, she has designed dozens of stage productions in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York. Eden has served on the Advisory Board at FIDM (the…
Dr. Saman Jamshidi is an assistant professor in the 51ԹϺ School of Architecture. His areas of interest include wayfinding, healthcare design, evidence-based design, architectural technology, and sustainability. His past work includes research on the influence of the hospital environment on reducing fall risk among patients, improving patient outcomes, and rural healthcare. He is…
Dean Nancy Uscher is proud to announce the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Professor Award is Louis Kavouras, chair of the Department of Dance. For more than 30 years, under his extraordinary leadership and dedication, 51ԹϺ Dance has greatly enhanced the life of the College of Fine Arts and 51ԹϺ, and has been recognized as one of the top 10 dance programs in the country. The…
In March 2025, the Nevada Regents’ Award for Creative Activities was presented to Jennifer Bellor, Coordinator, Composition; Assistant Professor, Composition; Artistic Director, Nextet. Congratulations Jennifer!