Ph. D. Musicology Washington University in St. Louis, MM Piano Performance Southern Methodist University, B. M. summa cum laude Piano Performance and Pedagogy Eastern New Mexico University

A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mary Jean Speare earned degrees in Portales, New Mexico and Dallas, Texas before moving to St. Louis for her Ph.D. There she completed a dissertation on “The Transformation of Opéra Comique: 1850-1880.” Before coming to James Madison University, Dr. Speare held one-year positions at Baylor University and the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. She has given papers at international conferences in Prague, Belgium and Dublin, and at the national convention of the American Musicological Society. Her publications include articles on various aspects of nineteenth-century French opera. As the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Speare served the School of Music from the Fall of 2005 through Spring 2019. In this capacity, she was tasked with launching the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in the Fall of 2007. She served as the Associate Director of the School of Music from Fall 2011 through the summer of 2023. In 2015 she received the College of Visual and Performing Arts award for Distinguished Service. At JMU she has taught seminars on Hector Berlioz, Benjamin Britten, Richard Wagner, French Grand Opera, and Underrepresented Composers.