About Dalcroze School of the Rockies

Jeremy Dittus, Director

Jeremy Dittus enjoys a career as a pianist, theorist, and Dalcroze eurhythmics instructor.  An avid recitalist, he has performed solo and chamber programs in the United States, Switzerland, and Italy.  A former Lecturer in piano, theory, and solfège at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory in Cleveland, he also has instructed undergraduate solfège, piano, and composition courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder as well as eurhythmics and solfège at L’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Dr. Dittus has presented Dalcroze workshops at home and abroad including the World Piano Conference, International Early Childhood Music and Movement Convention, National Dalcroze Conference, National Flute Convention, Colorado Music Educators Association State Convention, Piano Celebration at Metro-State University in Denver, University of Louisville Piano Institute, in addition to several summer music institutes. 

He completed a doctorate of musical arts in piano performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder; for the master of music, he studied piano performance and music theory at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. During his undergraduate work, he obtained bachelor degrees in piano performance and chemistry.  His Dalcroze License and Certificate comes from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, while the Diplôme Supérieur (a doctoral equivalent in Switzerland) comes from the L’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in conjunction with La Haute École de Musique de Genève and Le Conservatoire de Musique de Genève.  While in Geneva, he received top honors including the 2009 Prix pour les qualities musicales exceptionnelles and the 2010 Prix pour les qualités artistiques et pédagogiques exceptionnelles.   

Currently, he is the founder and director of the Dalcroze School of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado.  The DSR offers Eurhythmics classes for children ages 4-14, adult enrichment classes, and full time study toward the Dalcroze Certificate/License (Eurhythmics, Solfège, Improvisation, and Methodology/Pedagogy).  Teachers include Lisa Parker, Anne Farber, Ruth Gianadda, Marie-Laure Bachmann, Sylvia del Bianco, Sylvie Morgenegg, Laurent Sourisse, Andrew Cooperstock, Michael Chertock, Frank Weinstock, and George Cherry. 

The Dalcroze School of the Rockies

The Dalcroze School of the Rockies is an independent institution whose primary goal is to educate musicians, dancers, senior citizens, and educators using La Méthode Jaques-Dalcroze.  Started in 2010, it caters to students from as young as 4 all the way up to professionals who include conductors, university professors, undergraduate and graduate students, private studio instructors, public school teachers, amateur musicians, and dancers.  Classes are offered in three locations through two different organizations:  The Colorado Music Festival and Twinkle Together, LLC.   As the only License-granting institution west of Pittsburgh authorized by Le Collège de L'Institute Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland, it offers dynamic learning and music-making to those living in the Rocky Mountains.  By treating the body as an instrument, the work Émile Jaques-Dalcroze began back in the early part of the Twentieth century lives on today, vibrant as ever.