Idyllwild Arts Foundation President Pamela Jordan and Idyllwild Arts Academy Head of School Marianne Kent-Stoll are pleased to announce that Dr. Jeanette Louise Yaryan will serve as Assistant Head of School of the Academy starting
July 1.
A panel of Academy administration, faculty, and staff members interviewed three strong candidates and found that the strongest was Jeanette. Her expertise in arts education, her own artistic work as a performing classical pianist, and her 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 Idyllwild Arts community well. The interview panel was impressed by Jeanette’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 Jeanette’s skills as well as from her deep commitment to Idyllwild Arts. She does not see her work at Idyllwild Arts as a job, but as a calling.
Jeanette will be vital in helping Kent-Stoll run day-to-day Academy 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 advisor to students.
In addition, Jeanette 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 Jeanette’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 who Idyllwild Arts 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 Jeanette 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 Idyllwild Arts Board and of President Jordan.
Jeanette 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. Jeanette is an international pedagogue who has presented at music education conferences around the world.
