Casey Molino Dunn has joined the Music Academy of the West administration’s artistic operations department as vice president of innovation and program development.
He will be responsible the execution and expansion of a year-round innovation institute comprised of annual Alumni Enterprise Awards, a five-day Innovation Residential, Summer School and Festival curriculum, and Fast Pitch Awards.
Molino Dunn’s focus will be the creation of career-launching opportunities and professional development for all academy fellows and alumni, as well as teaching as a faculty artist.
A familiar face to 2020 Academy fellows and faculty artists, Molino Dunn served as a co-director of the Music Academy Remote Learning Institute (MARLI), along with Jennifer Bowman. MARLI was a mission-driven program providing training for the academy’s full-scholarship fellows and artistic content available for audiences worldwide.
Santa Barbara’s Noozhawk reported that, “None of our musical institutions had a more complicated program/curriculum to be converted into the virtual than the Music Academy of the West, and the brilliance of their solution — the Music Academy Remote Learning Institute (MARLI) — could hardly be surpassed.”
Musical America stated that MARLI “will go down as one of the most significant [seasons] ever in its 73-year history.”
As a MARLI co-director, Molino Dunn’s responsibilities included designing technology packages for all fellows, curating programming for Innovation Seminars and planning and executing the Fast Pitch Awards.
He will continue to advance upon strides made this summer, expanding digital media capabilities and training for the Music Academy community, both on campus and for distance learning.
“I’m excited to build on our recent success and further collaborate with the Music Academy family. It is especially energizing to work together on initiatives that strengthen artistic communities, musicians’ careers, and the future of classical music,” Molino Dunn said.
The Academy’s Summer Innovation Seminars bring together industry leaders and cutting-edge artists to engage fellows and audiences in discussion about the present and future state of classical music, while the annual Fast Pitch Awards allow fellows to present their entrepreneurial ideas.
Alumni Enterprise Awards have provided more than $220,000 in grants for forward-thinking projects in artistic expression, audience development, education, community engagement, social justice, and technology.
Recipients of the awards are invited to a five-day Innovation Residential. Academy alumni create careers in music and beyond and are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and academic faculties throughout the world.
“Casey Molino Dunn’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship will inspire new self-made career paths for young musicians. His management and leadership of the Fast Pitch Awards in 2020 demostrated a dedication to positive mentorship that will impact the participants long after the summer,” said Clive Chang, Music Academy Board member and Lincoln Center chief of staff and innovation.
Molino Dunn, an accomplished professional musician, begins his new position after serving as the director of Manhattan School of Music’s Center for Music Entrepreneurship.
At Manhattan School, his key responsibilities included entrepreneurial coaching, leading career-enhancing services for students and alumni, teaching as part of the collegiate faculty, and collaboratively producing professional development workshops.
In September, Molino Dunn will begin his new role part-time remotely and begin full-time in Santa Barbara in January. Kevin Kwan Loucks served as director of innovation and program development from 2018-20. The Artistic Operations Department is managed by chief artistic officer Jamie Broumas.
“In the footsteps of his leadership with MARLI, we are truly thrilled to welcome Casey Molino Dunn to our team,” said Broumas. “He is both an innovator and skilled educator who will help create meaningful career-launching opportunities for Music Academy fellows and alumni.
“There are few professionals in our industry better poised to help young musicians create their own path than Casey.”
Molino Dunn has collaborated with a range of musicians to advance their careers and entrepreneurial activities. In addition to leading Manhattan School of Music’s Center for Music Entrepreneurship, he has worked as a publicist securing media coverage and producing events for such artists as André Previn and pianist Simone Dinnerstein.
Molino Dunn previously coordinated the Eastman School of Music’s Office of Careers and Professional Development and was a member of The Juilliard School’s student services staff. He serves as a career advisor at the annual Chamber Music America national conference.
A baritone vocalist and actor, Molino Dunn’s performances range from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in New Hampshire to Stephen Sondheim’s “Passion in Miami.” He was a chorister with New York City Opera and an ensemble member for the New York City premiere of Andrew Lippa’s theatrical oratorio “I Am Harvey Milk.”
Also a keyboardist, he has played community performances for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s pops series and the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey. He leads the music program at Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chatham, New Jersey, and produces the town’s Concerts on Main, a series he launched in 2013.
Casey holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.