A senior, Ropp has used her time at Carolina to study French in Chapel Hill and in Paris, France, all while balancing her passion for music education and performance.

The longtime conductor inspired and challenged the music department’s UNC Symphony Orchestra to perform brilliantly.

Two spring performances, both involving work by music professor Mark Katz, highlight the transformative power of hip-hop.

The initiative will produce new works, collaborations and research on social justice and racial equity in the American South with musician Rhiannon Giddens. Southern Futures is a collaborative initiative of the College, University Libraries, Carolina Performing Arts and The Center for the Study of the American South.