Michael Yaffe has been associate dean of the Yale School of Music since 2006. At Yale, he has been responsible for the development of the Music in Schools Initiative, a program designed to provide training for graduate students in community engagement and to provide New Haven public schools with teaching artists and other collaborative programs. In the past two years, Mr. Yaffe has also led the development of the Morse Summer Music Academy, a comprehensive summer music program for urban youth from New Haven. In addition, he is responsible for the development of technology and dissemination programs at Yale, including distance learning, streaming, website development, and tools for students and faculty.
From 1986 to 2006, Mr. Yaffe was executive director of The Hartt School of the University of Hartford and director of its Community Division. During his tenure at the Hartt Community Division, he increased its student population from 1,000 to 2,800 students. Beyond the 100 part-time faculty members, Mr. Yaffe created 30 full-time teaching positions with benefits. He initiated the Fund for Access to provide financial aid and to make the programs of the Community Division available to students with limited means. Mr. Yaffe enhanced programs for small and large ensembles, including chamber music, youth orchestra, wind ensemble, and children’s choir. He led the transfer of the School of the Hartford Ballet to Hartt, creating a new department of dance. To maintain a connection with the classroom, he taught the music history component of the High School Performer’s Certificate Program.
Mr. Yaffe began his professional career as assistant director for operations of the National Association of Schools of Music, Dance, Theatre, and Art (1976-1986). He simultaneously served as director of the arts unit at Radio Station WAMU-FM, Washington, D.C. (1980-1985).
Mr. Yaffe was a member of the board of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts from 1999 to 2006 and is currently chair of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Precollege Arts Schools. He also served on the board of the National Association of Schools of Music and was chair of its non-degree-granting commission. Mr. Yaffe is a member of the board of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and chaired the recently concluded search committee for its music director. He is also a member of the board of the Full Force Dance Theater.
Mr. Yaffe has led workshops on community arts programs in university contexts at annual meetings of both the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and the National Association of Schools of Music, and has served as a consultant to more than twenty community arts schools around the country.
Mr. Yaffe holds degrees in piano and musicology from Clark University (Worcester, MA) and the University of Toronto (Canada). He lives in West Hartford (CT) with his wife Gail who continues to teach at the Hartt Community Division. Their children, Emily and Nathaniel, grew up musically in the Community Division. Emily, a violist, has just founded a community music school in Basel, Switzerland, and Nathaniel has begun a doctorate in cello at the University of Minnesota. Grandson Zachary (born in 2009) has shown an early interest in percussion.