Founder and Director

---

---

Arthur Houle is in frequent demand as a performer, adjudicator and clinician.

Houle holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, New England Conservatory and the University of Iowa. His lifelong enthusiasm for chamber music has led to collaborations with artists such as Michael Barta, Louis Lowenstein, Dennis Parker, Benny Kim and Paul Olefsky. He has performed extensively with the New England-based Copley Chamber Players and the Langroise Trio. His Carnegie Recital Hall debut with cellist Dennis Parker was critically acclaimed.

Houle was the only pianist to be invited to perform twice for El Paso's premiere International Chopin Music Festival in 1995 ("...Houle played with the ease and aplomb of a pianist...polishing every sharp and flat in Chopin's repertory..."). He has given coast-to-coast lecture/recitals and master classes at institutions such as Eastman School of Music, Dartmouth College, New England Conservatory and Longy School of Music.

Houle presented a lecture/recital, moderated an open forum discussion (report), and helped provide career services at the 2004 national conference of the College Music Society, where he also presented in 2002, 2006 and in 2009. Houle's other presentations include the Music Teachers National Association conferences in 2005 and 2006. He was featured clinician for the 2008 Colorado State Music Teachers Association and 2002 Kansas Music Teachers Association annual conferences, and presented for the CMS South Central Chapter conference in 2006. Since 2002, Houle has also presented at nine other CMS regional conferences and for several MTNA state chapters. In 1991, he performed original jazz trio music live on NPR's "Eklektikos" (KUT-Austin) and was invited back to perform and discuss the music of Chopin in a two-hour live interview in 1995.

Cowboy Jazz, Dr. Houle's collection of original piano solos for intermediate level students, is published by the Hal Leonard Corporation and available locally at Roper Music Store. His "Chopin Nocturnes" CD features performances with authentic variants along with original variants as Chopin might have done. Another CD features jazz and classical music of contemporary composer Marjorie Burgess. Both CD's have earned critical acclaim. Houle has also recorded music of James Fry for CRS.

Houle has written for the College Music Society Newsletter (Task Force Reports on Independent Musicians and Associate Professorship), Clavier, Clavier Companion, Piano Today, Piano Quarterly, American Record Guide, North Dakota Music Educator Journal, Arkansas Music Educator Journal ("Segue"), The Piano Adventures® Teacher FJH Pedagogy Newsletter(see pdf of "It's Easy to Improvise!"), and the IMEA's Idaho Music Notes. He was also a frequent contributor to Piano & Keyboard and later wrote a regular column for American Music Teacher.

Houle studied piano with Leonard Shure, Maria Clodes-Jaguaribe, Kenneth Amada and Gladys Ondricek.

His chamber music coaches included Eugene Lehner, Colin Carr, Benjamin Zander and Victor Rosenbaum. A private teacher since the age of 13, Houle has taught at New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, the Dana Hall School of Music (MA), the Universities of Iowa, North Dakota & Texas-Austin, and College of Idaho (formerly Albertson College). Houle is currently a Professor of Music and Director of Keyboard Studies at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Full Houle vita Download (PDF)

Representative Recordings by Arthur Houle

• Polonaise in A-flat by Frederick Chopin, live performance, Mesa State College, 2-10-08

• Etude in D-Sharp Minor by Alexander Scriabin, Op. 8, No. 12, live performance, Mesa State College, 10-5-09

• Nocturne in E-Flat Major by Frederick Chopin, Op. 9, No. 2, live performance with authentic embellishments by Chopin and some by Houle, Mesa State College, 9-29-06

• Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed by Arthur Houle*, live performance, Mesa State College, 2-11-09

• Under the Stars by Arthur Houle*, recording session, Mesa State College, 3-15-09

• Jazz Fantasy by Arthur Houle*, live performance, Mesa State College, 2-10-08

* Original compositions © Arthur Houle.