The president of the University of Cincinnati Foundation and the guiding force behind the school’s lofty Next, Now fundraising campaign is retiring from the position. But Peter Landgren doesn’t plan on leaving campus anytime soon.
The UC College-Conservatory of Music graduate and former dean of the school is rejoining the CCM faculty.
Landgren – who’s also stepping down as vice president of University Advancement – has served as UC Foundation president since October 2017.
“I took on this role to lead UC’s fundraising and alumni engagement activities six years ago out of loyalty to my alma mater and from my belief in the power of philanthropy to lift our community through higher education and quality academic medical care,” Landgren said.
While Landgren is stepping down from his leadership positions at UC, the impact of his successes in office will be felt by students, teachers, staff and the Greater Cincinnati community for generations to come.
One of Landgren’s most indelible efforts was guiding the most extensive fundraising campaign in university history. The Next, Now: The Campaign for Cincinnati recently met its $2 billion goal more than a year ahead of schedule. Proceeds are already transforming various physical aspects of CUF campus – from athletics complexes to UC Health facilities – and supporting student advancement through scholarships, fellowships and programming.
Landgren played a pivotal role in leading the Foundation and UC Alumni Association throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. UC President Neville Pinto praised Landgren for managing to achieve “historic fundraising results” at a time when philanthropic giving declined across the United States.
“Working with our generous donor investors and witnessing their impact on UC and UC Health has been a privilege,” Landgren said.
During his 12 years on UC’s campus, Landgren served as the dean of CCM for five years. He was reappointed for a seven-year term as dean when the university tapped him to serve as interim senior vice president for Academic Affairs and Provost.
Landgren launched the residency of the internationally renowned Ariel Quartet. He partnered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and UC to develop the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship, which aimed to become a national model for diversifying the music profession.
Landgren looks forward to returning to his creative roots by rejoining the university as a tenured faculty member at CCM.
A French horn performance major at CCM, Landgren won the school’s concerto competition all three years he was on campus. While still a student, he was the principal horn in the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra and performed and recorded with the CSO.
Beyond his teaching duties, Landgren is serving as the co-chair of the CSO music director search; he has been a member of the CSO board of directors for 12 years.
Prior to his appointment at CCM in 2011, Landgren served as conservatory director at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. He had spent the previous 29 years as a musician with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and he was a faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University for more than 25 years. Landgren was the interim director of the Peabody Institute from 2005 to 2006.
“Peter’s contributions to UC will be long-lasting and should be both honored and celebrated,” Pinto said of his colleague. “As a scholarship recipient at UC, Peter’s belief in the transformational power of higher education helped triple donor investments to scholarship funds in his time at the Foundation.”
Pinto expressed further appreciation to Landgren for his willingness to remain in his position with the UC Foundation until his successor is in place.
Established in 1975, the UC Foundation is a nonprofit corporation and the private sector fundraising entity for the university and UC Health. Its mission is to support UC’s aspirations through philanthropic collaboration with its colleges, the Academic Health Center, UC Health and other units to maximize private support.
The most pressing immediate need of the UC Foundation is to maintain the final year of the Next, Now campaign. It runs through June 2024.
UC plans to begin an immediate national search for Landgren’s replacement, with the hopes of “recruiting the best possible candidate to support the mission and vision of both UC and UC Health,” Pinto said. The search team will seek guidance from UC Foundation trustees and staff, as well as stakeholders from both UC and UC Health.
“We are confident we will find a talented and dynamic leader who will help advance our incredible momentum,” Pinto added.