Kris Chesky has joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in Performing Arts and Health, a joint appointment at the Peabody Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His appointment will help establish a new academic department in Performing Arts and Health and marks the first Bloomberg Distinguished Professorship for the Peabody Institute since the university established the professorships in 2014.
He comes to Baltimore from the University of North Texas, where he founded the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health and was the director of collaborations between the University of NorthTexas Health Sciences Center and the College of Music.
“Kris Chesky thrives on interdisciplinary collaboration and has an outstanding track record of inspiring and equipping emerging researchers in performing arts health,” says Peabody Dean Fred Bronstein. “As chair of a new Department of Performing Arts and Health at Peabody, in collaboration with colleagues at JHU Medicine, Dr. Chesky will open new pathways with immense potential to advance our industry-leading arts and health collaborations and reduce the prevalence and impact of injury for performing artists everywhere.”
Kris Chesky has joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in Performing Arts and Health, a joint appointment at the Peabody Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His appointment will help establish a new academic department in Performing Arts and Health and marks the first Bloomberg Distinguished Professorship for the Peabody Institute since the university established the professorships in 2014.
He comes to Baltimore from the University of North Texas, where he founded the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health and was the director of collaborations between the University of NorthTexas Health Sciences Center and the College of Music.
“Kris Chesky thrives on interdisciplinary collaboration and has an outstanding track record of inspiring and equipping emerging researchers in performing arts health,” says Peabody Dean Fred Bronstein. “As chair of a new Department of Performing Arts and Health at Peabody, in collaboration with colleagues at JHU Medicine, Dr. Chesky will open new pathways with immense potential to advance our industry-leading arts and health collaborations and reduce the prevalence and impact of injury for performing artists everywhere.”
Chesky will build upon the collaboration between the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the School of Medicine with Peabody, becoming the first university faculty member to integrate research and clinical care for performing artists into education. In addition to chairing the new department within the Conservatory, he will establish a research lab in partnership with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to conduct biomechanical and psychosocial research, build data capturing systems throughout the Peabody campus to monitor peak performance and health indicators, and develop new curricular pathways for existing and new Peabody students. He will also lead an initiative to develop and oversee smart campus data tracking initiatives to monitor healthy practices, prevent injury, and optimize artists’ performance. Chesky’s scholarship and teaching will augment existing programs in performing arts clinical care, injury prevention education, and performance health surveillance at Peabody.
“The fact that Johns Hopkins is embracing the challenges in performing arts health speaks loudly in and of itself and will resonate broadly, and definitely has the potential to impact the disciplines of music and dance,” Chesky said. “This is an incredible opportunity to innovate, to grow, and to lead.”
