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June 15, 2005

Two ULM Faculty Members to Perform at Conference in Japan

The International Clarinet Association's "ClarinetFest 2005," is an international conference which takes place over-seas every other year and in the U.S. on alternate years.

This year it will be in Tokyo, Japan from July 18-26. Two ULM Faculty members, Dr. William Nichols and Dr. Richard Seiler, Jr., were invited to perform two complete works for clarinet and piano by American composers (Elliott Carter and Robert Muczynski) on the opening concert of the conference.

The venue is a large modern arts complex called the Parthenon Tama. There will be clarinetists and assisting musicians from over the world performing, teaching master classes and giving lectures at this event, as well as competitions for young artists.

Nichols was chosen to perform through a proposal and recording submitted to the organizers of the event.

Nichols said, "We are performing the Pastorale by Elliott Carter, considered by many musicians as America's most distinguished living composer, and the Time Pieces by Robert Muczynski, a leading American pianist and composer, who is retired from a distinguished career of teaching at the University of Arizona."

William Nichols is a professor of music at ULM and is the past holder of the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Endowed Professorship in the Division of Music. He is an active performer who has played throughout the U.S. and in Europe. He is the principal clarinetist of the Arkansas Symphony and is a member of the Shreveport Symphony. A career in contemporary music has led to premiere performances of dozens of works with such ensembles as the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Aspen Conference of Contemporary Music, and the Center for New Music of the University of Iowa. He has appeared at Carnegie Recital Hall and as a soloist and chamber music performer at conferences throughout the U.S., including clarinet conferences in New Orleans and Oklahoma. He presented a lecture for the ClarinetFest 2002 in Stockholm, Sweden.

In August, he will serve on the faculty of the International Wind Arts Festival in Yantai, China (Aug. 8-14), where he will present master classes for clarinet students from some half dozen Chinese conservatories, and will also play a solo recital.

Richard Seiler is the ULM keyboard chair and teaches piano, piano literature, organ, harpsichord, and music theory. He has performed extensively as a soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician throughout the southeastern United States. In addition, he has been a featured soloist with orchestras in North Carolina, Illinois, and Louisiana, including the LSU Symphony in a performance of the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto. Dr. Seiler tours frequently with ULM faculty ensembles including the Ouachita Trio, Trio Vindaloo, the Lunte/Seiler Duo, and Duo D'Arbonne, having performed at numerous College Music Society­Southern chapter conferences, International Horn Society­Southeast Division workshops, the 1999 and 2002 National Flute conventions, and 2001 International Clarinet Association convention

Seiler and Nichols will be presenting a concert on the Grace Episcopal Church July Concert Series on Tuesday, July 12, five days before they depart for Japan.

For this and other ULM news online visit www.ulm.edu. While there, check out ULM's on-line calendar for all of ULM's upcoming events.

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