Dr. Roosevelt Newson is the latest recipient of the Spangler Endowed Professorship
Kesha Williams
Posted On November 8, 2010
Kesha Williams
November 08, 2010
Dr. Roosevelt Newson has enjoyed great success in two distinctly different careers.&nbsp As ECSU’s newest recipient of the Spangler Endowed Professorship and the first such appointment in the School of Arts and Humanities, Newson has an impressive resume as both a concert pianist and scholar.&nbsp&nbsp Having served as Provost &amp Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) at two institutions, Bowie State University and at the University of North Alabama, Newson’s administrative career spans a period of 25 years.&nbsp
His previous administrative appointments include those of Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts &amp Social Sciences at Georgia Southern University, and Associate Dean of the College of Arts &amp Sciences at Bloomsburg in Pennsylvania.&nbsp A musician by training, Newson began his career in Higher Education at Western Michigan University and at Wilkes University (PA) where he was the Artist-in-Residence.&nbsp He commenced his full-time administrative career as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow at the State University of New York in Binghamton.&nbsp
Prior to his career in Higher Education, Dr, Newson was a full-time concert artist under professional management in New York City.&nbsp He made his professional debut at Wigmore Hall in London and, since that time, has presented a number of concerts that were broadcasted on radio and television.&nbsp Among his live broadcasts was a recital presented at The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.&nbsp Having concertized internationally, Newson has performed in major European cities such as Vienna, Salzburg, Brussels, and The Hague.&nbsp He has been the featured soloist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Philharmonic, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic.&nbsp Dr. Newson also presented a series of public school concerts with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.&nbsp Held in high regard for his performances of contemporary music, Newson was chosen to present the premier of David Ott’s Piano Concerto with the Charlotte Symphony and a chamber work by Hale Smith in Nashville and New Orleans.
Newson will hold a piano recital at 4 p.m. on February 20th and 27th in the auditorium of the Fine Arts Complex. Later in March, he will present two lectures: On March 8 his topic is "the Invention of the Negro and the Evolution of His Music" and "The Era of Ragtime" which will include musical performances by students.
A graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana-born pianist studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore and at The Juilliard School in New York City.&nbsp His teachers include Walter Hautzig, Leon Fleisher, and Martin Canin.&nbsp A veteran of the Affiliate Artists Program in New York, Newson’s biography appears in Who’s Who Among Black Americans and the International Who’s Who in Music.
