This past May, the Department of Music celebrated the retirement of two cherished faculty, each of whom have been with the University for more than two decades: Jocelyne Guilbault, Professor of Ethnomusicology; and Cindy Cox, Professor of Composition. A post on Jocelyne’s distinguished career is forthcoming, but today we recognize Cindy Cox, Composition Professor in the Department of Music.
Cindy joined the Department of Music in 1991 as an Assistant Professor, and in her more than three decades of service she helped shape the department–and University at large–through important leadership roles. Cindy served as Chair of the Department of Music from 2014-2020 and Associate Dean of Arts & Humanities in 2021. She held the Jerry and Evelyn Hemmings Chamber Distinguished Professorship in Music from 2010-2013.
Professor Cox had a tremendous impact on her students, recognizing their gifts and elevating them through her teaching and mentorship. Speaking about Cindy’s impact on his career, former student Bobby Ge said
“Professor Cox was my first real composition mentor. I had virtually no formal background in music, and the compositions I had written then as an undergraduate would not exactly have inspired confidence. I was almost certain I would end up pursuing a career in STEM. Even so, Cindy did one thing for me that was truly pivotal in my musical development: she took my work seriously. It spoke volumes that she would meet with me while she was still department chair. Her choice to believe in my music allowed me to do the same, and without her, I would not be the composer I am today.“ -Bobby Ge, Composer
Aside from her contributions to the Department of Music, Cindy was well-recognized as a preeminent composer. Cindy has received awards and commissions from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Fromm Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Composers Forum, ASCAP, Meet the Composer, New Music USA, and the Fulbright Foundation. She has been a Fellow at Tanglewood, Aspen, the MacDowell Colony, Civitella Ranieri, and the Giardini La Mortella on the island of Ischia. Her recent commission from the Toulmin Foundation and the American League of Orchestras was for Dreaming a world’s edge, premiered by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in May 2022.
As a pianist, Cox has performed and recorded many of her solo piano compositions, including the Sylvan pieces, Hierosgamos: Seven Studies in Harmony and Resonance, and The Blackbird whistling/Or just after. A number of her works feature advanced technologies developed at UC Berkeley’s Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT), such as the Piano Sampler Etudes and Pianos. Works with text, such as Singing the lines, The Other Side of the World, and Hysteria evolved through collaboration with her husband, poet John Campion. Together they are currently collaborating on a musical theater and dance project, The Road to Xibalba, based on an ancient Mayan creation myth, which recently premiered in a concert version presented by Cal Performances in spring 2024.
Speaking on his colleague of nearly 30 years, Professor David Milnes–current Chair of the Department of Music–stated
“From the generations of students she influenced to her own remarkable compositions, Cindy’s wealth of talents were a gift to our department for more than 30 years. Cindy's service as Chair of the Department of Music and Associate Dean of Arts & Humanities reflect her devotion to Berekeley’s academic tradition. Cindy's contributions to the University will continue to be felt across campus for generations to come.” - David Milnes, Chair, Department of Music
All of us at the Department of Music thank Cindy for her decades of service, and look forward to seeing the new work she produces in the coming years.