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
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
and
2006
and will also present in
2009.
Houle's other presentations include the
Music Teachers National Association conferences in 2005 and 2006
(recording #926 available).
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 and Texas-Austin,
Albertson College, and the Idaho
Music Academy. Houle is
Associate Professor of Music and Director of Keyboard Studies at
Mesa State College
in
Grand
Junction, Colorado.
Full Houle vita Download (DOC)
Full Houle vita Download (PDF)