Renowned Band Director Paula Crider Is Ithaca College's 2008 Arnald Gabriel Visiting Wind Conductor

12/02/08

Paula Crider -- who retired in 1999 from a distinguished 33-year career directing bands at the University of Texas -- will make two appearances at Ithaca College as the third Colonel Arnald Gabriel '50, HDRMU '89 Visiting Wind Conductor.

Crider will conduct the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble on Wednesday, December 3, and the concert and symphonic bands on Thursday, December 4. Free and open to the public, the performances will start at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music.

The Wednesday concert will feature two pieces associated with dance: Hahn’s “Le Bal de Beatrice Este,” and Donald Grantham’s “J’ai été au bal.” Music of Halvorsen, Zdenek, and Turina round out the program. Stephen Peterson, the wind ensemble’s regular conductor, will conduct portions of the program. On Thursday, the bands will feature music of Arnold, Sousa, Kabalevsky, Ticheli, and others, with Mark Fonder and Elizabeth Peterson sharing the conducting with Crider.

Col. Arnald Gabriel established the visiting conductor residency in 2006 to bring an accomplished guest conductor from the wind field to campus annually. During the residency, the visiting conductor will provide lectures, meet individually with graduate students in wind conducting, rehearse with the bands and conduct their public performances.

The residency reflects Gabriel’s lifelong dedication to wind music. A 1950 alumnus of the School of Music, he received an honorary doctorate from the college in 1989. Four years previously, Gabriel retired from the U.S. Air Force. During his 36-year career, he received three Legion of Merit awards for his service to the Air Force and to music education. In addition to serving as commander/conductor of the internationally renowned U.S. Air Force Band, Gabriel also directed the air force’s symphony orchestra and the Singing Sergeants. His many other honors include the Ithaca College Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, presented annually to a graduate who has achieved exceptional professional success.

Crider began her teaching career in Mississippi and then moved to Austin to begin graduate study at The University of Texas, concurrently teaching band and general music at Allen Jr. High School. Completing her master’s degree in music education in 1970, she was named the Director of Bands at Crockett High School in Austin — the first female in the state of Texas to serve as Director of Bands at a class 5A high school. In 1982 Crider joined the faculty of The University of Texas as assistant director of the Longhorn Bands, and in 1995 she was named director of Longhorn Bands until retirement.

Her other awards and honors include two “Eyes of Texas” awards for excellence at UT, the Tau Beta Sigma/Kappa Kappa Psi Outstanding Service to Music Award, the Sudler Legion of Merit and the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA) Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the immediate past president of the National Bandmasters Association. A member of Phi Beta Mu, TBA, and the Texas Music Educators Association, Crider was the 2004 TBA Bandmaster of the Year.

For more information, contact Erik Kibelsbeck at ekibelsbeck@ithaca.edu.

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