BERKELEY, CA (CelebrityAccess) — Susan Muscarella, President, and founder of the California Jazz Conservatory, announced that she’s stepping down from her executive role with the organization to focus on education.
According to the CJC, the transition will take place in May of 2023, with Muscarella continuing to lead the school in her role as President until then.
“After 25 years, I have decided to make the transition from my current role as Founding President, back to teaching,” Muscarella said. “My love for teaching was, in big part, what inspired me to found the first iteration of the school, the Jazzschool, in 1997, so it is like coming full circle – I look forward to returning to that role.”
Muscarella founded the CJC, the only independent music conservatory focused on Jazz in the U.S., in Berkeley in 1997. The campus has since grown to include two buildings in the Berkeley Downtown Arts District, just minutes from the Jazzschool’s original Shattuck Avenue location.
The CJC Board has created a search committee to identify a new leader for the conservatory, led by CJC Board Chair Tyler Johnston, along with a group of board members, students, and external professionals, the organization said.
“As a Board, our goal is not to replace Susan, which is certainly not possible, but to search for the next leader who will build upon our many successes and embrace our unique mission and vision to drive the institution forward. We look forward to having the constituents of our community – represented on the Search Committee – provide a rich diversity of viewpoints and insights,” Brook said.
