Duquesne Names Interim Dean of the Mary Pappert School of Music

David Allen Wehr has been named interim dean of the Mary Pappert School of Music, effective Monday, July 1. He succeeds Dr. Seth Beckman, who has served as dean since 2014.

“I am deeply honored by this appointment and look forward to building on and deepening the productive and cordial working relationships I have built with my colleagues over the past 18 years at Duquesne,” said Wehr, who holds the Jack W. Geltz Distinguished Piano Chair. “The provost and I have been working to ensure that my additional responsibilities will be structured to allow my artistic work to continue growing and developing, in teaching, performance and community engagement.”

An internationally recognized pianist, Wehr joined the music school in 2001 and has served as the Geltz Chair since 2006. His global career was launched after winning the gold medal at the 1987 Santander International Piano Competition in Spain. The resulting tours have taken Wehr to more than 30 countries in Europe, North and South America, and the far east, including performances in New York, London, Paris, Vienna, Washington, Madrid and Buenos Aires. His more than 1,300 concerts include 13 seasons of touring the United States and Canada for community concerts as a soloist and pianist with the Sartory Trio, along with Duquesne colleague Violin Professor Charles Stegeman.

“The Mary Pappert School of Music has been my professional home since 2001, and I remain exceedingly grateful for the many opportunities I have been afforded here to flourish artistically,” added Wehr. “I welcome this new challenge as a further opportunity to serve our students in the most positive way possible.”

Wehr is artistic director of the Mary Pappert School of Music’s popular Bluff Music Series, which features Duquesne music faculty, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and other guest artists. The series has paid tribute to composers including Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Pittsburgh native David Stock and Aaron Copland.

“We are elated to have David Allen Wehr serve as interim dean for the Mary Pappert School of Music,” said Duquesne Provost Dr. David Dausey. “He is an internationally renowned musician who has been instrumental in putting together the many events the music school hosts each year to expose Duquesne students and the residents of Pittsburgh to the joys of music. I’m completely confident that David will be an exceptional Interim Dean who will continue the good work of the faculty and staff to advance our world class school of music.”

Wehr has both an M.M. and an B.M. in piano performance from the University of Kansas.