Blaire K.S. Koerner

Blaire K.S. Koerner is the inaugural Director of the newly-formed Center for Music Leadership and Community Engagement at Florida State University’s College of Music. In this role, she will lead collaborative partnerships within and outside of the College of Music, oversee the College of Music Arts Administration Program, and advance the college’s mission through music-focused community engagement, professional development for musicians and educators, and entrepreneurial projects.

Koerner’s personal mission is to provide resources and opportunities for creatives to envision, create and sustain successful careers in the ever-changing field of the arts. She comes to Florida State University from the Eastman School of Music, where she was the Associate Director of the Institute for Music Leadership (IML). In this role, she oversaw the oldest arts entrepreneurship program in the country – the endowed Catherine Filene Shouse Arts Leadership Certificate of Achievement, celebrating it’s 30th anniversary in 2026.

This experiential program is designed to complement student’s primary area of study and provide training to support student’s career goals and aid in the development of future music leaders. In collaboration with Director Rachel Roberts, Koerner revitalized the IML curriculum of nearly 30 core and elective courses based on student interest, industry trends, and changes in education, such as online learning and the introduction of AI. In addition, she established relationships with local, national, and international arts institutions, increasing the number and variety of internship opportunities for those within the Arts Leadership Certificate and M.A. in Music Leadership programs.

In addition to curricular design, Koerner was a career advisor for Eastman School of Music’s undergraduates, graduates, and young alums. Although she specialized in assisting Doctoral candidates and graduates in receiving higher education faculty positions, Koerner supported students within their various interests and specializations, providing over 500 individual appointments per school year. For her efforts, Koerner was nominated by students and received Eastman’s 2025 Linda Muise Staff Award, which recognizes individuals whose dedication and hard work make a lasting impact on the community.

As an arts leader, Koerner has consulted and/or volunteered for a number of non-profit and community institutions including Pegasus Early Music, Glickman Popkin Bassoon Camp, Rochester’s Arts In the Loop Downtown Revitalization Initiative, Arts + Change Conference, and American Associate for University Women (AAUW). She was recently nominated Interim President of the Board of Directors for the Society for Arts Entrepreneurship Education – a national level non-profit professional development organization focused on advancing formal training and high educational standards for arts entrepreneurship education. In this role, she is collaborating with the Board on designing a 2030 Strategic Plan to increase the size and scope of the organization’s offerings, such as building a framework of Learning Outcomes for the field of arts entrepreneurship. 

As an educator, Koerner has over 15 years of experience as a studio professor and classroom instructor. At Eastman School of Music, Koerner was an adjunct instructor of Arts Leadership where she oversaw undergraduate and graduate courses in music leadership, career design, industry trends and capstone projects in both in-person and online formats. As a studio professor, she was the adjunct bassoon instructor for Syracuse University’s (SU) Setnor School of Music from 2018-2025. While at SU, she doubled the size of the studio, overhauled the reed room, and took the studio to attend the Glickman-Popkin Bassoon Camp in North Carolina. From 2016-2024, Koerner was the bassoon instructor and woodwind chamber coach at Eastman Community Music School (ECMS). A key component across all of Koerner’s teaching is to build self-sufficiency and independence in her students. Embedding growth mindsets, mindfulness practices, and Universal Design Learning (UDL) into her courses, she guides her students on building a toolkit of resources to support adaptability and resiliency.

As a bassoonist, Koerner is a founding member of Hats + Heels Duo (H+H), a quirky ensemble of bassoon and harp that aims to engage audiences through the universal intrigue of an entertaining story. Their innovative performances are infused with a variety of art forms and technology that weave colorful tales ranging from comedic to heart-wrenching, educational to ludicrous, and exploratory to enlightening. Aiming to expand the repertoire for bassoon and harp, H+H has commissioned over 13 new works, often incorporating elements beyond the musical realm. Their 2022 album Women Are… includes all new repertoire by women-identifying composers and celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The duo has been nationally featured at higher education institutions such as Eastman School of Music, University of Oregon and Florida State University as well as at performing organizations such Orchestra of the Southern Fingerlakes and Lake George Music Festival. Hats + Heels Duo has also toured internationally in the UK and Ireland visiting Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, TU Dublin Conservatoire, MTU Cork School of Music and various community spaces including historic cairns.

Koerner received the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music. She also holds the M.Ed in Elementary Education and B.S. in Bassoon Performance from Hofstra University.

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