Music Chair Receives Prestigious National Honor
Music Department Chair Dr. Andy Collinsworth has been elected to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.
“Election to the ABA is one of the highest (if not the highest) honors in the profession,” Collinsworth said.
“This organization dates back to 1929, and looking at the history and the list of members is remarkable (including John Philip Sousa, who was the first honorary president of the organization). To be included amongst the ranks of the legendary figures in the wind band field is an incredibly high honor.”
Selection to the American Bandmasters Association is considered to be a pinnacle of achievement for wind band conductors. Membership in the ABA is determined by a nomination and election process. Nominees are selected by a committee and must submit performance recordings and a curriculum vitae demonstrating musical excellence and expertise.
Inductees were invited to conduct a selection with one of the performing ensembles at the Washington D.C. Convention. Dr. Collinsworth worked with the United States Navy Band. He described the experience as both thrilling and nerve-wracking.
“I had conducted the Navy Band a few years back, when they were on tour at Weill Hall, so I was somewhat familiar with many of the musicians,” he said. “Leading the performance was a snap compared with addressing the membership the following morning during my induction speech! Looking out into an audience of the biggest names in the field was quite honestly nerve-wracking!”
Dr. Collinsworth conducted a performance of Autumn Walk during the March induction ceremony, a 1958 composition by American composer Julian Work that he recently revised and edited.