Faculty Profile: Lance Inouye

The following Q&A is part of a series created by the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to introduce new faculty. Get to know Instructor in Music Lance Inouye, who joins the faculty this fall, in the interview below.

Education: D.MA 2013 (anticipated) College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati; MA 2000 Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, City University of New York; B.M. 1996 Berkley College of Music; additional studies, St. Petersburg State Conservatory of Music, Russia.

Research and teaching interests: Orchestral and opera repertoire from the Baroque through the 21st century.

What most excites you about joining the Lewis & Clark community?

I am excited about the diversity of the students, their eclectic interests, and the emphasis on exploring and discovering connections between diverse disciplines. 

Describe the current trajectory of your scholarly research.

I am interested in examining the aesthetic of text-to-music adaptation, as it highlights linguistic and literary subtleties. Pushkin’s verse-novel and Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin constitute an especially fascinating example of aesthetic choices, with regard to form and content, that underscore elements of structure, meaning, melody, harmony, rhyme, and symmetry.

What kind of hobbies or special activities do you enjoy outside of work?

I enjoy languages, burgers, sushi, water sports, travel, and biking.

What were your childhood goals/aspirations?

I wanted to be a race-car driver, fisherman, baseball player, film composer, or drummer.

What are you listening to in your car right now?

Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Eidan Reichel, Eminem, Beethoven, Puccini, Bob Dylan, Arvo Pärt, Bob Marley, Black Eyed Peas, Stravinsky.

What was your favorite childhood story?

Green Eggs and Ham. I loved the rhyme, rhythm, and musicality of Dr. Seuss.