Abra K. Bush

Abra K. Bush serves as the David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean and Professor of Music in Voice at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, where she holds the distinction of being the institution's first woman dean. Previously, she held leadership roles as senior associate dean at Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute and as the first woman director of the Music Division at The Boston Conservatory.

Her academic credentials include:

• Doctor of Musical Arts from The Ohio State University (2003)
• Master of Music from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music (1997)
• Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music (1996)

As a professional soprano, Bush maintains an active performance career spanning Baroque to contemporary opera, with notable roles including Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Laurie in The Tender Land. Her scholarly engagement focuses on voice pedagogy and arts administration, evidenced by presentations at conferences for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, College Music Society, and Assessment in the Arts.

Bush has driven significant institutional change throughout her career, increasing underrepresented faculty representation by 65% at Peabody Institute and establishing new degree programs like the Master of Music in Classical Contemporary Music Performance at The Boston Conservatory. Her administrative expertise spans faculty recruitment, curriculum development, and strategic partnerships across multiple conservatories including Eastman School of Music and Berklee College of Music.