Sudden death of leading US dean, 56

The death has been communicated of Dr Adrian Daly, Provost of the Colburn School and former associate dean at Eastman and Cleveland.

The cause was a heart attack.

Irish born, Daly served at Eastman until 2009, when he was named Dean at Cleveland Institute of Music. He joined Colburn as Provost in 2015.

Tributes are flooding in:

Matthew Ardizzone: So sad to learn of the sudden passing of Adrian Daly. For me he was first a mentor during my student days at Eastman, then my predecessor in my previous position, and thereafter a deeply valued advisor, colleague and friend. My heart goes out to his family, his kids, and the many, many people whose lives he impacted and, indeed, helped shape. He left us too soon, but we are richer for having known him.

Marilyn Marks Taylor: To the person who recorded my regional audition and admitted me to Eastman; who took my frantic phone call the night before the graduate school deadline and convinced me to come to CIM for my masters (I hadn’t even met my teacher yet); who helped me find my first apartment in Cleveland; who helped me look for jobs upon graduation; who was the first person Julian and I ran into 15 minutes after getting engaged: Thank you, Adrian, for connecting so many musicians to Eastman, and for caring deeply about everyone you knew. Thank you for being an incredible mentor and friend to so many.

SunMin Kim: Rest in peace, Dr. Adrian Daly. I still vividly remember getting a phone call from him when I was admitted to Eastman in 2004. He was so welcoming and kind once I got to Eastman, and I was so impressed that he remembered every single detail of interaction between he and my dad, and between me and him.
In my senior year, when I took his class “career skills for 21st century musicians,” he taught me how to write a cover letter, CV, and résumé. He taught us how to conduct ourselves in interviews and auditions. He even taught us to hold our drink in the left hand in parties and receptions, so that our right hand isn’t cold when we shake hands with others.
After Eastman, he became the Dean at Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Provost at Colburn. I cannot imagine how busy his schedule must have been, but whenever I was visiting Cleveland or LA, he always made time to have coffee with me, and I cherished interactions with him. He was so thoughtful, insightful, and kind.