The University of Kansas has named the interim dean of the School of Music to the permanent position.
Popiel has served as interim dean of the school since January, and he is also a conductor. He was director of bands from 2010 through 2022. He also conducts the Lawrence City Band in its summer concert series.
“I am honored and exhilarated to have the opportunity to lead the KU School of Music, a place that I have called my professional home as the director of bands for the past 14 years,” Popiel said in an announcement from the university. “It’s a thrilling time for KU and the School of Music with record enrollments and rapidly growing participation of KU students in music ensembles and music courses from across the university. I am a passionate advocate for making music available to all.”
Popiel earned bachelor’s degrees in instrumental music education and trumpet performance from Truman State University, master’s degree in trumpet performance from the University of Notre Dame and his doctorate in wind conducting from Michigan State University. He also earned a postgraduate diploma in 20th-century music from the University of Bristol in Bristol, England, according to the announcement.
Popiel’s previous appointments include the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Oklahoma State University. He is a contributing author to several volumes of “Teaching Music through Performance in Band” and the Alta Musica journal, as well as editor-in-chief of The Wind Music Research Quarterly, according to the announcement.
“My guiding principle in the dean role is to cultivate an inclusive, diverse and vibrant arts community where musical passion thrives and where creativity, exploration and excellence are celebrated,” Popiel said in the announcement. “We have remarkable students and alumni doing incredible things all over the world and a terrific faculty and staff going above and beyond to support them. Our best times are surely ahead of us, and I look forward to working with our faculty and staff to reach ever greater heights. I especially want to thank the students, staff and faculty for their patience with me as interim dean over the past year as the search process played out.”
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