The Commentator Welcomes Dean Cypess to YU: Part II

How does your background in music and the arts give you unique insight into the role of being Dean?

I can think of a few ways in which music has contributed to my academic leadership style. First, one of my greatest joys in life is playing chamber music — music for a small group in which each player is dependent on everyone else. Chamber music teaches close listening, collaboration, and the respectful exchange of ideas. I don’t think it’s unique in this respect, but it has disciplined my mind in certain ways. (Chamber music is so central to my life and way of thinking that I have founded a professional ensemble that has performed across the country and released several recordings.)

Second, in my previous position as an associate dean of a school for the arts within a large research university, I was responsible for ensuring that the arts always had a seat at the table. I did this by finding ways to bring people and academic disciplines together. For example, I helped create a unique, interdisciplinary academic program that brought the arts into dialogue with biological and environmental science and another interdisciplinary program at the intersection of the arts and organizational leadership. Developing these programs required me to be a vocal advocate for my school while also seeking out collaborative relationships with faculty and leaders across the university. 

Third, I think my background in the arts has helped me value the wide range of work that happens at a university. A program in my home discipline of music can include some traditional historians (scholars in music history who write books and articles), others in the social and behavioral sciences (music education, music cognition), and others whose work lies in music performance or composition. A robust music program embraces all of these. This idea is directly transferable to Yeshiva University, which encompasses academic learning of all sorts as well as classical Jewish learning in the tradition of the yeshiva. In this environment, it’s essential that we recognize, value, and celebrate all ways of knowing. 

Who is your favorite musician?

It’s hard to pick just one. I am an “early music” fanatic — meaning that I especially enjoy music composed before 1800. (I know, that’s not “early” in the scheme of Jewish history…) At the moment, my favorite composer is Antonio Vivaldi; he was a rock star of the eighteenth century, and his music sparkles with an energy and a beauty that’s hard to match. You can hear that energy especially in performances on instruments from Vivaldi’s own lifetime, like this one by the group Il Giardino Armonico. I love Mozart, too — again, especially when played on period instruments — as, for example, in this performance by Andreas Staier or this one by my teacher, Malcolm Bilson. I have done a lot of work on women composers of the eighteenth century. Here’s a strange and wonderful piece by Angélique Diderot, daughter of the eighteenth-century philosopher Denis Diderot, which I recorded on an antique piano built in 1780. 

Too often, the arts and humanities are viewed as ancillary or frivolous because they are not “practical.” Yet Rav Soloveitchik wrote about “the affinity of the aesthetic and the religious,” suggesting that artistic creativity can be an avenue for coming to know the divine and, again, partnering in creation of the world. To my mind, such experiences — especially sharing moments of beauty with others — help constitute a meaningful life. Whether at a concert, a kumzitz, or a spirited Hallel davening, I think we’ve all felt something similar. We ought to name those experiences and be explicit about their value.

What are you currently reading?

I don’t have a lot of time for novels, but I am slowly making my way through “Bleak House” by Charles Dickens. I love his use of language and imagery, and I really enjoy the texture and depth of the characters whom he conjures. Dickens novels are so long that I feel like I can really live in their world, even if only for 15 minutes at a time. His social critique — his championing of the poor and the downtrodden and his criticism of those who wield power for selfish purposes — resonates strongly with Jewish ethical principles. And, no matter how tangled and difficult his characters’ situations become, no matter the toll of society’s ills, there is always some hope at the end. Reading Dickens reminds me always to look for hope in the real world, too. 

What has been your favorite city/country that you’ve visited?

How can I answer anything other than Israel? There’s a beauty and a holiness there that is difficult to put into words. And I’m always amazed by the convergence of past and present in Israel’s everyday life.

Beyond Israel, I love the energy of Manhattan and the majestic beauty of Ithaca, NY. I spent a year studying in London, so that city also holds a special place in my heart.

How did your academic interest in music begin? 

I always had a love of music, but my academic interest began with my high school music teacher, who introduced me to early music, historical performance practice, and the harpsichord. That’s true for so many of us — our life’s work is sparked by dedicated, inspiring teachers. Connecting students and teachers through the process of learning and helping them do their best work together are major parts of my job here. It’s an honor to engage in this work.

Photo Credit: Bloomington Early Music Festival 2022: Celebrating Women in Early Music | May 22-27, 2022 | www.blemf.org 

Photo Caption: Dean Cypess at the keyboard at the Bloomington Early Music Festival