The University of Colorado at Boulder College of Music has awarded the recipients of two endowed chairs, the first two such chairs in the college's history.
The Bob and Judy Charles Endowed Chair in Music, established in the spring of 2001, has been awarded to Allan McMurray, director of bands at CU-Boulder. The Joe Negler Endowed Chair in Music, established in the fall of 2000, was given to Thomas Riis, professor of musicology and director of the American Music Research Center. The assignment of both endowed chairs was determined by a committee of CU-Boulder music college faculty.
"The selection of these two individuals for the first endowed chairs in our college is testimony to their high standing within the profession and their dedication to our students," said Daniel Sher, dean of the College of Music. "We couldn't be more appreciative of the Charles' and Joe Negler's gifts, and of what this will mean to our music students in the future."
Allan McMurray is professor of conducting, director of bands, conductor of the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band, and chair of the conducting faculty. Prior to this position, he was on the faculty of the University of Michigan. He also has been on the faculties of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Interlochen Arts Academy, and was Artist-in-Residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Considered an authority on conducting pedagogy and wind repertoire, Professor McMurray has been a guest conductor, lecturer and clinician throughout the United States and 13 foreign countries. He received a bachelor's degree in music education from California State University in Long Beach and graduate degrees in trumpet performance and conducting from the University of Wisconsin. He is president of the College Band Directors National Association and is on the Board of Directors for the John Philip Sousa Foundation.Ìý
Thomas L. Riis, professor of musicology and director of the American Music Research Center, received a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's and doctorate from the University of Michigan. In 1987, he served as the senior fellow at Brooklyn College's Institute for Studies in American Music. In 2001, he was appointed as the Albert Seay Distinguished Visiting Professor at Colorado College.
Professor Riis is a specialist in American Musical Theater and writes and lectures widely on the subject. His book "Just Before Jazz," devoted to African-American shows in New York, received an ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award in 1995. His other interests include medieval song, historical performance practice and music in culture. Riis remains active as a conductor, choral singer, viol player, and cellist.