Idyllwild Arts Academy
Contributed
Idyllwild Arts Foundation President Pamela Jordan and Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) Head of School Marianne Kent-Stoll announce that Dr. Jeanette Louise Yaryan will serve as assistant head of school of the academy starting July 1.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IDYLLWILD ARTS ACADEMY
A panel of academy administration, faculty and staff members interviewed three strong candidates and determined the strongest candidate was Yaryan.
Her expertise in arts education, artistic work as a performing classical pianist, and leadership both in academy residential life as a dorm head and in the music department, which she has chaired the last two years, will serve the IAA community well.
The interview panel was impressed by Yaryan’s ability to understand, analyze and address complex and challenging situations with courage and compassion. She has proven successful in supporting both faculty and students while also setting in place clear guidelines and structures to help her department and the school.
The community will benefit from Yaryan’s skills as well as from her deep commitment to IAA. She does not see her work at IAA as a job, but as a calling.
Yaryan will be vital in helping Kent-Stoll run the academy’s day-to-day operations. She will oversee scheduling and teacher evaluation and work closely with the dean of students, the student care team, admission, the department chairs, the director of student information/registrar and the faculty. She will also serve as academic and artistic adviser to students.
In addition, Yaryan will work with Director of Innovative Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Chassman on professional development, reviewing curriculum and providing resources for teachers. Chassman’s mentoring and support of teachers will be complemented by Yaryan’s work in ensuring meaningful evaluations to strengthen accountability and consistency across all disciplines. They will draw on faculty and outside resources to create programs that emphasize what IAA is as an arts community and that address the crucial need for a curriculum relevant to contemporary issues and in step with current educational trends.
With Yaryan at Kent-Stoll’s side, the head of school can devote more of her energy to creating strategic goals and long-term plans, collaborating with development and marketing, building external partnerships, keeping finance abreast of budgetary needs and supporting the vision of the IAA board and of Jordan.
Yaryan began studying piano at age three and she has won many awards, scholarships and competitions. She earned her doctoral degree in piano performance from the University of Southern California in 2009. She has performed in Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Though an accomplished soloist, she is also passionate about multidisciplinary performances. She enjoys incorporating a wide range of artistic elements, including her original spoken word compositions, into her work. Yaryan is an international pedagogue who has presented at music education conferences around the world.
