Alumni Spotlight: Solomon Cross ’07 MM
Dr. Solomon Cross is the Dean of Performing and Communication Arts at Pasadena City College in Pasadena California. Prior to this role, he served as the Vice Provost for the School of Creative Arts, Entertainment and Design at Dallas College. Additional roles include leading as an Executive Dean of Liberal Arts, Assistant Divisional Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, Discipline Coordinator of Humanities and Fine Arts, Divisional Chair of Fine Arts, Director of Choral Activities, and Assistant Professor of Music. For over a decade, Dr. Cross has been a successful change agent leading and managing academic success initiatives within diverse community college systems.
Dr. Cross has a background in academic affairs, community college leadership, and vocal pedagogy. Dr. Cross has also been recognized for his leadership teaching and educational initiatives earning a Chancellor’s Distinguished Leadership Award, and a Teaching Excellence Award from the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development.
Dr. Cross earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Houston’s Moore’s School of Music and received a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Texas Wesleyan University.
Why did you choose NEC?
I chose New England Conservatory for its commitment to artistic excellence within a deeply collaborative and intellectually rigorous environment. NEC's integrative approach to music making where performance, scholarship, and professional development inform one another aligned with how I wanted to grow as a musician and artist. Just as important, the culture of mentorship and community made NEC a place where I could develop not only my voice, but my artistic identity.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC? What projects have you been working on? Do you have any goals you are looking to accomplish?
Since graduating from NEC, my career has continued to evolve at the intersection of artistic practice, academic leadership, and advocacy for the performing arts. I currently serve as a college administrator and have served over 15 years in a variety of leadership roles, where my work centers on supporting performing arts students and faculty and strengthening institutional resources that directly impact artistic training and professional preparation.
One of my most significant recent projects has been leading a major initiative to secure funding for new performance instruments to enhance student learning and artistic development. This effort culminated in the successful acquisition of six Steinway pianos for student use. I led multiple international and national delegations with piano faculty as part of the selection process, including travel to Hamburg, Germany to select a Model D Hamburg Steinway, and to New York to select one Model D New York Steinway along with four additional Model B New York Steinways. This project required close collaboration with faculty and institutional leadership, and reflects my commitment to ensuring that students have access to the highest-quality tolls for skill development, performance, and professional readiness.
In addition to this initiative, I am actively working with faculty to expand our outreach efforts throughout Southern California. This includes building relationships with local arts nonprofits and community organizations to create partnerships that broaden access to arts education, foster community engagement, and provide meaningful performance and professional opportunities for students. These efforts align with my long-term goal of strengthening the visibility, sustainability, and impact of the performing arts within both academic and public spheres.
In the Spring of 2023, I traveled to Taiwan for the International Education Administrators Fulbright Scholar Award from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Overall, my ongoing professional development reflects a continued dedication to the values I cultivated at NEC: artistic excellence, collaboration, leadership, and advocacy. Whether through administrative leadership, resource development, or community engagement, my goal is to support environments in which artists can thrive and to contribute meaningfully to the future of performing arts education.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
Some of my favorite memories at NEC come from building community both inside and outside the practice room. Being involved in student organizations with others who shared my faith and belief systems gave me a strong sense of grounding and belonging during an intense period of artistic growth. At the same time, spending time with extraordinary musicians from around the world in rehearsals, late night conversations, and collaborative projects continually expanded my worldview. Those relationships shaped not only how I make music, but how I think about my responsibility to contribute as an artist and leader in a global artistic community.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
One of my most meaningful experiences at NEC was studying with my voice instructor and then department chair, Mark St. Laurent. He consistently challenged me to bring my whole self into the studio and to think deeply about how I wanted to command an audience as a classical baritone. His expectations were high, but they were grounded in integrity and care. I trusted his guidance with my instrument, and that trust shaped my artistry in lasting ways.
How have your NEC experiences shaped your artistic approach?
At NEC, I've been trained not just to sing, but to think like a musician. The integrative curriculum weaves together performance, theory, history, composition, and entrepreneurship so that artistic decisions aren't isolated from broader musical context. This means I approach repertoire with analytical insight as I'm always considering why certain musical choices work, how they were conceived, and how they communicate meaning to an audience. That deeper understanding has strengthened my interpretive choices and made my performances mor authentic and expressive.
Share any other stories about what has inspired you at NEC and beyond.
One experience that continues to inspire me was observing as a student in a week-long symposium at NEC led by Gustavo Dudamel with the El Sistema Orchestra. His outlook on musicianship, creativity, and music as a force for community left a lasting impression on me as an artist. Experiencing that moment just before he assumed his role in Los Angeles feels full circle now, as I serve and advocate for students in Los Angeles metropolitan area and carry those same values forward.
Do you have any advice for young musicians/current NEC students?
Stay curious and flexible, and stay connected to why you make music. Technical skills matter, but purpose sustains a career. Think broadly about what a life in music can look like, and be open to paths that include leadership, teaching, and advocacy. Invest in relationships and mentorship, especially within the NEC community. Finally, advocate for yourself and for the arts. Your voice matters both onstage and beyond it.
Learn More About Solomon:
Current Job: Dean, Performing & Communication Arts Division at Pasadena City College
Major: Vocal Performance
Degree: Master of Music
Class Year: 2007
Instrument: Baritone Voice
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