Dr. Robert Young McMahan has been appointed as Chair of the Music Department at TCNJ (The College of New Jersey). Prior to his appointment, Dr. McMahan was a full Professor of Music Theory and Composition and Coordinator of Music Theory Studies. He has been a member of the faculty since 1991.

TCNJ offers a degree in Accordion Performance and a BA in Music Education where the student may use the accordion as a major instrument. This is a wonderful opportunity for accordionists who are interested in earning a college degree to pursue a concert career or seek employment as a music teacher in the public schools, etc.

Robert Young McMahan is an award-winning composer, classical accordionist, specializing in original contemporary music, and published music researcher who is active as both a performer and composer in a number of contemporary music venues in the middle states region.  He is also Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Theory and Composition Studies, as well as of the Accordion major, at The College of New Jersey, and was recently appointed Chair of the Music Department.  An active officer of the American Accordionists’ Association, he serves as Chair of its Composers Commissioning Committee.

In addition to his own music, he has premiered the accordion works of many notable American composers, including Ernst Krenek, Gary William Friedman, Lukas Foss, and Samuel Adler.  Dr. McMahan holds degrees from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, where he studied composition with Stefan Grové, Robert Hall Lewis, and Jean Eichelberger Ivey, and St. John’s College (Santa Fe campus).  He studied accordion with the well known accordionist, Louis Coppola.

He will premiere his new 4-movement work, “Mechanisms”, for flute, clarinet, accordion, and piano on the Friday evening concert of the AAA Master Class and Concert Series on July 26 in NYC.(See article on AAA Seminars in this issue).  It was commissioned by Trio@Play, Kevin Waolis, flute, Ken Elliss, Clarinet, and Lynda Saponara, piano. Guest cellist Cecylia Barczyk and Dr. McMahan will also play Piazzolla’s “La Grand Tango” on Sunday, July 28th, of the AAA Seminars (as they did at TCNJ and her college, Towson University last fall).

For further information: Contact Dr. Robert Young McMahan at grillmyr@gmail.com