Last semester I posted some recent IHS area news, and here’s some more updates.  As usual, Louisiana IHS members have been very active over the last few months, performing as soloists,  orchestral and chamber musicians, presenting at conferences, and hosting workshops and residencies.  Here are some of the recent highlights. As always, if you have any Louisiana IHS news you would like posted on the area website, feel free to contact me.

• Thomas Hundemer performed Jeffrey Snedeker’s “Goodbye to a Friend” at the beginning of the Marshall Symphony (TX) concert on February 20, 2012. The performance was in memory of Shirley Handler, a longtime Marshall Symphony board member.
• On January 8 2012, Kristine Coreil hosted the annual Horn Day at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.  Guest artist for the event was Karl Kemm.
• Current LSU DMA candidate Arisia Gilmore and recent MM graduate Matt Taylor tied for the Acadiana (LA) symphony’s 3rd horn audition and will be splitting 3rd horn duties there this season (2011-2012)
• Former MM grad, Linda Elliott, is the new Adjunct Professor of Horn at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS.
• The LSU Brass Ensemble, under the direction of Joseph Skillen (Professor of Tuba at LSU), just completed a very successful tour of the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston areas and performed a fanfare at the Dallas Wind Symphony Concert.  The horn section included Erin Kessler, Freddy Patrick, Devin Chamberlin, Sydney Hawkins and Chris Hochkeppel.
• Students from the studios of Brian Shaw, Assistant Professor of Trumpet, James West, Associate Professor of Trumpet, Steven Menard, Visiting Professor of Trombone, and Brett Dietz, Associate Professor of Percussion all at LSU performed on the concerts.
• James Boldin, Assistant Professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, presented a clinic titled “Stopped and Muted Horn: A Guide for Directors” at the 65th Annual Midwest Clinic in December.
• Black Bayou Brass, resident faculty brass ensemble at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, had an opportunity to meet author Stephen King during their recent recruiting tour to the Dallas, TX area.  Mr. King happened to be speaking at McKinney North High School on the same day as the trio’s visit, and band director Alan Harkey invited them to perform some additional music prior to the lecture.  Black Bayou Brass has also been invited to perform a guest recital at Mahidol University (Bangkok, Thailand) in June, 2012, and at the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors National Conference in November 2012.